Projects are advancing as part of Austin ISD's facility master plan, and the school district's board of trustees received updates on the plan's progress as well as potential changes to boundaries and transfer policies during its April 21 meeting.

The board approved the master plan on June 16, 2014, and implemented Phase I projects in the 2014-15 school year as part of the voter-approved $489.7 million 2013 bond program. The district will roll out Phase II projects in the 2015-16 school year.

While some schools in AISD are overcrowded, others remain underenrolled. As part of the master plan, the district is communicating with those schools to try finding relief solutions.

Boundary changes and transfer policies

The district is working on a community outreach process to seek feedback on potential changes to transfer policies in 2015, with possible policy changes taking effect in spring or fall 2016, according to board documents.

Paul Turner, executive director of AISD's Office of Facilities, said attendance zone boundary changes are being planned for Wooten Elementary School. Staff has also considered potential changes to attendance zones at Kiker and Baranoff elementary schools, but those changes are in preliminary stages, he said.

"We haven't really nailed any of that down at this point because there are a lot of people to talk to in that kind of discussion," Turner said.

Overcrowding

As part of the facilities master plan, AISD held an orientation meeting March 11 with leaders from overenrolled elementary schools: Baranoff, Blazier, Doss, Kiker and Pickle. Facilities staff will attend those schools' campus advisory council meetings to help develop strategies to move each school's percent of permanent operating capacity into the target range of 75 percent to 115 percent.

At Hill Elementary School, which is over that capacity range, AISD's maintenance department found some spaces that can be converted into classrooms and thus increase permanent capacity, Turner said. The district is also working to expand the school's cafeteria, he said.

South Austin

The district is forming a planning team to develop and oversee the plan to expand advanced academic programming options in South Austin. Staff will gather feedback, the committee will recommend a location for the programming and the district will aim to engage the community in that geographic area, according to board documents.

The board also talked about buying land for a South Austin high school as a followup on its recent debate whether to vote on the land purchase by August. Trustee Robert Schneider suggested setting a deadline for board members to submit questions about the land purchase.

The board indicated it plans to discuss real estate issues related to the south high school during a June executive session meeting. Trustee Paul Saldaa said he wants to make it clear the district is talking about purchasing land but not actually building a new high school.

"My guess is the very earliest that we would be able to build a high school in South Austin is probably five years away, and that still doesn't do us any good with addressing the issues of underenrolled and overcrowded schools," he said.

Trustee Amber Elenz noted the district has not identified which schools will be addressed following implementation of phase I and phase II of the facilities master plan.

"We haven't forgotten them, and we have them in the queue, but we just didn't move them up as high because of the severity of some of the issues at some of these other [schools]," Turner said.

District staff will talk with campus CACs and work with them to identify future changes, Turner said.