Advisory Board

The University of Texas at Austin High School District (UTHSD) Advisory Board provides guidance on policies and initiatives for the District in accordance with the federal, state, and The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) policies.

District Governance Structure

The UTHSD is an organization within the College of Education (COE) at The University of Texas at Austin. The UTHSD is a Texas public school district, identified as a special purpose district (not a charter school or independent school district). The UTHSD adheres to the Texas public school district policies and specific requirements outlined in the Texas Administrative Code for special purpose districts: 19 TAC Chapter 61, School Districts, Subchapter B Special Purpose Districts, §61.101 Applicability of State Law for Special Purpose School Districts.

About the Board

The leadership of the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin selects the UTHSD Advisory Board member nominees for approval by the State Board of Education (SBOE) and the president of the University appoints the Superintendent. The UTHSD operates as a special purpose district governed by the University of Texas at Austin Board of Regents and acts in accordance with University policies. The UTHSD Advisory Board serves in an advisory role, not overreaching The University of Texas Board of Regents.

Board Members

William Bae, PhD Student, The University of Texas at Austin, College of Education

Dr. Debra Cantu, Associate Professor of Practice, The University of Texas at Austin

Dr. Beth Cooper, Superintendent, The University of Texas at Austin, UT High School District

Matt Giani, Director of Research and Data Science, The University of Texas at Austin

Michael Griffith, Executive Director, Breakthrough Central Texas

Dr. Cinthia Salinas, Professor, The University of Texas at Austin, College of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Board Meetings

The UTHSD Advisory Board meets approximately once per month, typically on the third Monday of the month. All Board Meeting agendas are posted on the UTHSD website at least 72 hours prior to each meeting. We welcome students, parents/guardians of students, and community members to attend the Board Meetings in-person at the UT Austin George I. Sanchez Building (SZB) or to log in to the livestream via Zoom. All meeting information is posted below.

Meeting Information

2023-2024

2022-2023

Citizen Comments

Citizens wishing to address the Advisory Board may do so by registering in advance of the board meeting.  Members of the public who register to address the Board will be asked to identify their relationship to the UTHSD, such as a current student, current parent/guardian of a student, community member, UTHSD staff member, or representative of an organization and to provide an email and phone number. Registration to address the Advisory Board opens by 10:00 a.m. (CST) the day prior to the meeting and ends at 10:00 a.m. (CST) the day of the meeting.

Citizens may choose to address the Board in-person or to submit a pre-recorded audio file. Audio files must be uploaded with the request to address the Board and are limited to two minutes. Any materials to be shared along with in-person or pre-recorded comments must be uploaded in advance during the online submission of a request to address the board. Materials to support citizen comments are limited to written statements. Materials that are not allowable to support public comments include videos, slides, or other electronic presentations. Allowable materials submitted in advance during the public comment registration process will be shared during the meeting by the UTHSD staff. Citizens will be allowed a maximum of two minutes to share their comments. Speakers may not donate their time to other speakers.

The UTHSD Advisory Board conducts its meetings in a polite, professional manner, and appreciates Citizen Comments being shared in a similar fashion. Individuals will be invited to speak in the order in which they signed up. Anyone not present who registered to present in-person comments during the public comments portion of the meeting will forfeit their opportunity to speak.

Public comments do not allow a back-and-forth discussion with the Board. Under Texas State Law, Board members may not discuss, deliberate, or take action on any matter not properly included in advance on the posted agenda for the meeting. As appropriate, district administrative staff will follow up with citizens regarding their statements. If comments involve a complaint regarding a district employee or student, the Board respectfully requests that you refrain from referring to individuals by name. Specific personnel issues should be addressed to the employee or the employee's immediate supervisor.

Sign Up for Citizen Comments

Communication

UTHSD encourages students, parents, community members, and staff to communicate with the school district leadership and staff as needed. Individuals may reach out in a variety of ways, including the following:

• Students, parents/guardians, and community members may contact the appropriate school department or staff member using the UTHSD Staff Directory.
• Students and parents/guardians may communicate with teachers via the Canvas messaging system.
• Students, parents/guardians, community members, and staff may register to share Citizens Comments for an agenda topic during an Advisory Board Meeting.

Students, parents/guardians, and community members wishing to contact the UTHSD regarding a specific grievance or complaint about a specific school, teacher, or child are encouraged to begin at the level closest to the concern. More information about the appeal UTHSD policies, notifications, and the appeal process is available on our Policies and Notifications webpage.