After a contract process that ended in April in the disqualification of both applications, the Austin school district has signed a new contract with Austin Voices for Education and Youth to run family resource centers at five campuses in North and East Austin.

The Austin school board’s decision during a June 20 meeting maintains the same service provider that has been running resource centers for some of Austin’s most at-risk students and families for almost 20 years.

The board voted with five in favor, three absent and one — Vice President Kevin Foster — abstaining.

The decision comes after staff in April postponed a decision on the contract over concerns the two applicants — both long-established and well-known nonprofits in the Austin school community — violated rules about communicating with board and staff members ahead of the vote. Austin Voices and Communities in Schools of Central Texas had applied for the contract.

More: AISD stalls vote on $440K family resource centers contract after applicants violate rules

Some community members had worried that taking the contract out of Austin Voices’ hands would create disruptions in key services to families, though Communities in Schools officials pledged they were up to the task.

Under the new contract, which came as part of a regular renewal process, Austin Voices will run resource centers at Houston Elementary School and Burnet, Dobie, Martin and Webb middle schools, according to district documents.

The $339,449 contract, which will last at least one year and at most five years, consists of $111,149 from the city of Austin, $110,000 from Travis County and $118,300 from the school district. The district is spending about $100,000 less per year than it did for the previous contract.

Austin Voices gets a significant chunk of its funding from grants and fundraising, organization officials said.

“All’s well that ends well,” said Louis Malfaro, Austin Voices’ associate executive director. “Austin Voices is honored to be able to serve the families and students of the Austin school district.”

Family resource centers help families of Austin district students with basic needs such as rent and utility assistance, English and financial literacy lessons, and connections to third-party nonprofits.

Austin Voices also runs two campus-based family resource centers the district does not fund.

“Austin ISD will continue its partnership with Austin Voices to run the Family Resource Centers and we do not anticipate any change in services,” according to a statement from the school district.

During an April bid process, a district panel had rated Communities in Schools with an 88.86 in a 100-scale rubric and gave Austin Voices an 82.14. Typically, district staff members recommend the highest-scoring vendor to board members for final approval.

However, district staff said both Austin Voices and Communities in Schools violated a school board policy that prohibits vendors from communicating with board members or district personnel during a specified portion of the procurement process. The district said board or staff members from both nonprofits reached out to board members by phone or email to give opinions about the contract during a no-contact period.

The district disqualified both vendors and restarted the procurement process, which both nonprofits reapplied through.

In the most recent round of procurement, a district panel awarded Austin Voices with a 90.5 and Communities in Schools with a 76.75, according to district documents. The two nonprofits were allowed to resubmit new applications.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: AISD renews Austin Voices contract for family resource centers