This November, voters living within Austin ISD will be asked to approve a $1.05 billion bond aimed at transforming the district’s facilities into 21st-century learning spaces. The bond includes 32 line items ranging from minor renovations to the construction of new schools. And although the bond’s bottom line is the largest in AISD history, the district’s financial officers have said no  tax rate increase will be incurred by taxpayers. On June 26 all nine trustees unanimously expressed their support for the bond package. The final list had been amended several times and in the end included a $61 million line item for the construction of a new middle school in the northeast—an expense that had been identified as a critical need by the area’s constituents as well as trustee Edmund “Ted” Gordon. “What we have in front of us is a bond package that will impact every corner of the district positively and will touch nearly every one of our 84,000 students,” trustee Yasmin Wagner said the night of the vote. Still, some AISD community members allege the bond is inequitable to areas where minorities and low-income families reside. Groups from the east side of Austin, such as the political action committee Save East Austin Schools, have been particularly vocal. “The bond, if passed with the current facilities master plan, would continue Austin ISD’s and the city of Austin’s long history of institutional racism. We call on Austinites to participate in creating more equitable and integrated solutions,” said Monica Sanchez, co-founder of SEAS. BOND ITEMS Although some groups claim the bond package favors more affluent areas west of I-35, Superintendent Paul Cruz has maintained schools across the district will be impacted by the bond. “We have students who are economically disadvantaged throughout our entire city, and that is reflected in our campuses,” he said. “East and west does not define poverty for us.” Bond items were prioritized based on a “worst first” criteria, according to the district. Overall the bond is designed to modernize or construct 16 new campus facilities, some of which will be replacement schools. Capital improvement projects to update existing facilities are also included as well as improvements to technology and transportation. Some of the most costly items south of Hwy. 290 include $88 million allocated toward modernizing Bowie High School and $50 million reserved for a new school to relieve overcrowding at Blazier Elementary School. Four existing elementary schools are also slated for full rebuilds, including Menchaca in far South Austin. CRITICISMS OF THE BOND Although the district has promised no tax rate increase will be incurred as a result of the bond, some citizens have questioned the accuracy of those claims. “When articulating the tax rate, there is no impact; there is the impact of growth, which you will experience whether the bond is approved or not,” the district’s Chief Financial Officer Nicole Conley Johnson said. Trustee Ann Teich reinforced this claim by placing the onus of tax rate increases on Austin’s economy. “If your tax rate goes up, it’s not a function of this bond being passed; it’s about your [property] values going up,” she said. At a Sept. 25 board meeting, trustee Amber Elenz reminded the public that approval of the bond would guarantee special attention be paid to schools previously slated for consolidation, including Joslin, Norman, Sanchez, Brooke and Dawson elementary schools. In the meantime, these schools have been placed on a list aimed at identifying solutions to address utilization. With the exception of Joslin and Dawson, all schools on the list are located on the east side of Austin. Johnson confirmed the bond could influence whether these schools are closed and consolidated. “The bond only furthers that [Facilities and Bond Planning Advisory Committee] goal of making sure the space is modernized before the kids are merged into another building,” she said.