AISD board set to vote on facility plan

AUSTIN (KXAN) - After years of failed attempts, the Austin school board is expected to approve a facility master plan to guide Austin school district decisions for years to come.

The framework lays out a timeline for board members to stick to each year to assess and take action on the efficiency of buildings and academic outcomes for students.

Current facility master plan recommendations for the 2012-2013 school year include an in-district charter school that will feed into Eastside Memorial High School and two single-gender schools in East Austin.

Monday night the school board is also expected to make a decision on how the new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test will weigh into a student's final grade.

State law requires the score to account for 15-percent of the final grade for students who entered the 9th grade this year.

With uncertainty surrounding the new test, Austin ISD is concerned about the impact on students' overall grade point averages which could affect college admissions, scholarships and financial aid.

The school board will consider asking the state for a waiver to postpone the new STAAR grading formula until next school year.