ICYMI: Check out 4 major Austin ISD news updates from August, September
Sweeping changes are underway in Austin ISD as the district responds to failing A-F accountability ratings and continues its school consolidation process.
Here are four of the biggest stories from Austin ISD in August and September that you may have missed.
Travis County officials sign off on judicial pay raises amid ‘exceptionally tight budget’
Travis County commissioners on Sept. 9 approved a series of salary adjustments for judges and elected officials that will shape how taxpayer dollars are allocated in the upcoming budget.
The overview: District Judges will see their county supplement rise to the state-allowed maximum of $25,000, bringing their total salary to $200,000, with corresponding increases for County Court at Law Judges and the 3rd Court of Appeals. Associate judges will receive phased raises reaching $180,000 by 2027, a move judicial advocates said could improve retention, boost efficiency and reduce court backlogs.
What else? Nonjudicial elected officials, including commissioners and the county judge, will see a modest 1% raise, while broader compensation decisions for county staff remain pending. A market study, criticized by some Commissioners for flawed methodology, is under review, and the Human Resources Management Department has 60 days to conduct further analysis.
The outlook: Officials said limited funding and rising health insurance costs are constraining compensation options. The FY 2025-26 budget is scheduled for final approval Sept. 30.
Extension of downtown Austin skyline to continue south of Lady Bird Lake
City Council approved plans for a 2-million-square-foot mixed-use project off South Congress Avenue, one of several prominent redevelopments moving ahead in the South Central Waterfront near downtown.
The details: The 500 South Congress PUD, including Ego's bar and office and apartment buildings, will bring hundreds of new residences, a hotel and commercial space to the 6.5-acre site. The project from Related Cos. is expected to feature a restaurant, grocery store and affordable retail space that could bring Ego's back. It'll also add a new public trail along Bouldin Creek on the property's south side.
That project and other high-rises planned around the South Central Waterfront are advancing without long-anticipated city regulations that were meant to solidify more community benefits like affordable housing and parkland in the area. Officials suspended that update a year ago and construction is now being approved on a case-by-case basis, although new regulations could soon be in the works through a revision to the city's Downtown Austin Plan.
Italian-based Caracol opens U.S. headquarters in Pflugerville
The Italian-based advanced manufacturing company Caracol opened its U.S. headquarters in Pflugerville this month. The overview: Caracol is an industrial 3D printer manufacturer that works with aerospace, construction, automotive, railway and other industries. The 10,000-square-foot facility production center in Pflugerville triples the company’s space for systems productions and application development, according to a news release.
The company’s Heron AM robotic platform prints parts in composite material with no shape or scale limits, while its Vipra AM system prints metal parts for various industrial machinery. Caracol’s new location also includes space to develop special projects for local manufacturing companies, providing access to the company’s engineering services, materials and product testings.
