Austin ISD facility master plan Akins Austin ISD staff and consultants gathered feedback from parents and the public on how to revise the district's Facility Master Plan at Akins High School May 3.[/caption]

Austin ISD invited members of the public to Akins High School May 3, asking them to provide feedback on how the school district's long-term facility master plan, or FMP, should be revised from its 2014 iteration.

AISD and consulting firm Brailsford & Dunlavey asked attendees about their ideal vision of a school, the importance of a school location, how feedback should be gathered, and what they want the FMP to accomplish. The public answered questions using sticky notes on whiteboards.

Paul Saldaña, AISD board of trustees vice president, said the education process starts with facilities, and it is important to families that students are in a good environment.

The challenge of overcrowding is another issue that the public may also provide feedback about, Saldaña said.

Parent Vera Muniz, a Southwest Austinite who has children at Boone Elementary School, said it is important for parents to be educated on AISD’s plans and how parents fit into the plans. Muniz said her main areas of interest include the district’s transfer policy and modernizing schools.

“My kids go to an old school, and there are always improvements that need to be made but they may not be high on the priority list compared to schools that are overcrowded,” Muniz said. “So, how can we make it more applicable for each school to have a piece of the pie?”

East Austinite Michael French also attended the meeting at Akins. He said he is thinking of starting a family with his wife in a few years, and the feedback given to AISD now will affect how schools are designed and built in the future.

The FMP revision process is expected to continue through May 2017.

“We’re in the beginning of a process to talk about how to reinvent the urban school experience for facilities,” said Paul Turner, AISD executive director of facilities. “This will set the stage for the dialogue about modernizing our facilities.”

AISD plans to have another FMP meeting May 4 at Lanier High School, located at 1201 Payton Gin Road, from 6-8 p.m.

The public may also provide feedback through an online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/PJDYMCG.