Building the Local Government/ School Partnership Laura Morrison City Council Member Austin, Texas

City of Austin, Texas Population: 790,390 (2010 Census)  A City of Prosperity & Vibrancy… ◦ Best City for the Next Decade ◦ Best City for Small Businesses ◦ Best for Jobs and Economic Growth ◦ Top Creative Center ◦ Top Startup Cities ◦ Greenest Cities ◦ Fittest Cities ◦ Most Bookstores per Capita ◦ Major Cultural Festivals ◦ Self-proclaimed “Live Music Capital of the World”  Relatively Low Unemployment ◦ Austin (6.8%) ◦ Texas (8.5%) ◦ US (9.1%)

A City of Prosperity & Vibrancy …But Not Necessarily for All  More than 1 in 5 Austin residents live at or below the federal poverty level  Approximately 36% of County households are “housing cost-burdened”  Only 50% of Austin ISD graduates are considered “college-ready”

Austin: Adopted Values A Healthy, Safe, and Family-Friendly City  Families and children, neighborhoods and schools are critical to the growth, diversity, vibrancy, and economic vitality of Austin  Affordable, family-friendly housing is a basic requirement for attracting and retaining families  Core values for affordable housing include geographic dispersion, long-term affordability, deeper affordability

Housing Challenges  Urban Core Demographics ◦ # of Households Increasing ◦ # of Dwelling Units Increasing ◦ Family Size Decreasing  Urban Core Losing Children  Escalating Housing Costs ◦ Between 1998 and 2008, Median Home Price Increased almost 90% ($129,900 to $240,000)

Educational Challenges Academic Performance Across the City Children’s Optimal Health & ACCESS Austin Community Collaboration to Enhance Student Success

Intergovernmental “Joint Subcommittees” Austin Independent School District, Travis County, City of Austin  Elected Officials’ Membership ◦ School Board President & 2 Trustees ◦ County Judge & 1 Commissioner ◦ Mayor & 2 Council Members  Participating Chief Administrators ◦ School Superintendent ◦ County Judge ◦ City Manager  Taking Collaboration to the Next Level  Leveraging Related Efforts ◦ City of Austin: Families & Children Task Force ◦ AISD: Community Committee on Neighborhoods and Schools

Joint Subcommittees Partnership Programs  Educational Impact Statement (EIS)  Housing Stability for Students  Connecting the Dots  Literacy Campaign  Judicial Support Services

Joint Subcommittees Partnership Programs: EIS  Impact on Existing Residential Units / Families  # of New Residential Units / Bedrooms  Projected Affordability  Parkland Dedication  Transportation Linkages

Joint Subcommittees Partnership Programs: Housing Stability  Moving to Chase Free Rent  Doubling Up  Eviction  Utility Costs  Inconsistent Child Support  Job Loss  Catastrophic Events  Teen Parents – Need Shelter

Joint Subcommittees Partnership Programs: Connecting the Dots

Looking to the Future Opportunities  Joint Subcommittees Partnership Programs In-Work ◦ Academic Rigor and Relevance ◦ Workforce Development ◦ Reversing the Demographic Trends in the Urban Core  “Imagine Austin” Comprehensive Plan Vision ◦ “Education is the hope for Austin’s future…Networks of community partnerships support our schools and ensure that our children receive the resources and services they need to thrive and learn.”  Grant Opportunities ◦ Foundation Communities 21st Century Grant ◦ Austin Achievement Zone

Thank you Council Member Laura Morrison Phone: Address: PO Box 1088, Austin, TX

References  Joint Subcommittees Resolution  Families and Children Task Force  Community Committee on Neighborhoods & Schools  Educational Impact Statement  Connecting the Dots  Community Action Network Dashboard  Children’s Optimal Health Links available at