Austin Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen said voters sent a message to the school board in : Work with what you have.
Carstarphen said that the $490 million approved for Austin schools will help the district focus on what she called 鈥渃ritical needs.鈥� But she added that voters鈥� rejection of Propositions 2 and 4 could mean that AISD will use cost-saving measures.
"We have to have a conversation about policies and practices," Carstarphen said. "Whether that鈥檚 transfers and boundaries, or any other approaches to our work that we鈥檝e used before 鈥� like portables and things of that sort 鈥� will come back on the table.鈥�
While the vote may not ease overcrowding in AISD schools, Carstarphen added that all district facilities should see 鈥渁 bit of a facelift鈥� by next school year. She added that despite the failure of props 2 and 4, the district is still "ecstatic" about the results.
鈥淚 think that our taxpayers 鈥� in one of the toughest economies that we鈥檝e seen as a nation, under the toughest public education reductions the state has seen since the World Wars, and one of the toughest taxing environments in the state of Texas, for Austin 鈥� we have an amazing commitment from good people of Austin doing the right thing for kids,鈥� Carstarphen said.
