On Jan. 16, Austin ISD officials celebrated the opening of a modernized building for the school alongside Wooten staff and students. The $40 million campus was funded by the district’s 2022 bond election.
“To be here today delivering the first modernized facility on the $2.4 billion dollar investment here at Wooten Elementary School, it's a big deal,” AISD Superintendent Matias Segura said at a press conference Jan. 16. “It represents who we are, how we embrace our community, and reinforces our commitment to make sure our students get what they need to be successful.”
Wooten Elementary students and staff spent the last two school years attending classes in portables at Webb Middle School during the construction at the modernized facility. The school’s previous building, which was built in 1955, was outdated and provided a stagnant environment with rigid seating that was not supportive of all types of learners, Principal Nicholas Martinez told Community Impact.
The new Wooten campus features open learning spaces with flexible seating as well as outdoor classrooms and a garden area. The fluid environment allows students to collaborate and has better supported physical education and art programs, Martinez said. The library has become the focal point of the campus—representing the school’s commitment to literacy, he said.
Additionally, the modernized school is designed to bolster safety by improving access points and circulation patterns, Segura said.
“It's a completely different atmosphere,” Martinez said. “Kids are happy, and learning is exponentially increasing from what I've seen.”
Martinez said he hopes the new facility attracts students who have left Wooten along with more teachers to work at the campus.
Wooten Elementary is the first AISD campus to undergo a full modernization. The district will celebrate the modernization of Harris Elementary in February.
The $2.44 billion bond package from 2022 includes 25 full or partial modernization projects, according to AISD information.
Last spring, the district broke ground on a full modernization for Oak Springs and phase 1 modernizations for Anderson, McCallum and Northeast Early College high schools, as well as Martin Middle School.
Stay tuned
In late November, the AISD board of trustees voted to close 10 campuses this fall, many of which were allocated funding from the 2022 bond, including Oak Springs Elementary. Segura told reporters that the district did not know it would be closing schools when developing the 2022 bond package.
"The one thing I'm never going to do is not invest in a school where I have students learning," Segura said about bond projects at the closing schools. "Now, when it comes to a large investment, like a modernization... those we will pause, slow down and then ultimately make a decision."
As of mid December, district officials said Segura would decide by late January whether to move forward with the $47.6 million modernization of Oak Springs or keep students at Blackshear Elementary where they will be reassigned to next school year.
