Over 8,000 college bound Central Texans can expect to receive a share of approximately $82 million in federal, state, and institutional college financial aid, thanks in part to the Chamber’s Financial Aid Saturdays Program. The Chamber mobilized 500 trained business, education, and community volunteers to assist with roughly 1,500 financial aid filings across 15 Central Texas school districts. The Chamber also spearheaded a multiplatform public awareness campaign to promote financial aid filings across Central Texas, and continues to work towards a goal of 12,123 filings yielding $110 million for college-bound Class of 2012 students. To learn more visit www.financialaidsaturdays.org.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Generation Texas campaign is encouraging business and community groups in our region, and across the state, to don college t-shirts as part of its “GenTX Day” campaign today. The effort aims to create a statewide college-going culture and features Vince Young as spokesperson. Chamber member E3 Alliance, under a grant received from the THECB, is coordinating GenTX day events across Central Texas. Susan Dawson, E3 Alliance President & Executive Director, notes, “Every person wearing a college t-shirt represents an opportunity to start a conversation with a student about college.” To learn more, visit gentx.org/gentxday.

The ACCRA Cost of Living Index annual average data for 2010 appeared last week showing Austin’s cost of living is 95.5% of the national average. The membership of the Council for Community & Economic Research (C2ER), including the Austin Chamber, conducts the cost of living survey three times a year.

Among the 318 urban areas that participated in the 2010 surveys, the after-tax cost for a professional/managerial standard of living ranged from more than twice the national average in New York (Manhattan) to over 17% below the national average in Harlingen, TX.

At the Monday Austin ISD Board of Trustees work session, the chair of the Trustee-created 72-member Facilities Task Force, Janet Mitchell of The Mitchell Group Consulting, discussed the primary reason why Austin ISD school district should focus on increasing efficiency in the Austin ISD facilities master plan.  Ms. Mitchell discussed that between $25 and $30 million could potentially be moved from supporting demonstrably under-enrolled schools to funding key efforts to improve student outcomes in Austin ISD’s strategic plan.

Austin ISD’s strategic plan, adopted unanimously by Trustees in December 2009, defines the tremendous possibility if the strategic plan targets are met in 2015: 90% high school graduation rate, 77% direct to college enrollment rate, 70% college/career readiness rates, all students demonstrating math, reading and writing on grade level.

The Facilities Task Force examined six primary factors in coming up with potential consolidation:

• Educational enhancement
• Efficient utilization
• Cost savings
• Facility condition
• Future growth
• Community impact

As an example, Austin ISD has not made much, if any, improvement in its high school graduation rate for nearly 7 years, according to the state’s Academic Excellence Indicator System.  Hispanic and African American high school graduation rates are less than 70%.  Savings from more efficient use of facilities – and other budget prioritization – can finally make some improvement.

The Facilities Task Force will hold two public hearings this week: January 12 at the Delco Center at 6pm and January 13 at the Burger Center in Southwest Austin.  The Facilities Task Force will return to the Board on February 14 with preliminary recommendations for their feedback.  The school board should receive the plan by the end of March.