The overview
The groundbreaking marks the start of a modernization project of the high school, funded by the voter-approved $2.44 billion 2022 bond program.
The renovations include modernized learning spaces, outdoor learning areas, security upgrades, additional counseling and mental health facilities, and improved athletic and fine arts facilities. The newly modernized school will also continue to be used for community services, such as voting and vaccinations, AISD Superintendent Matias Segura said.
The project will cost $252.21 million, and the new high school is expected to open for the 2028-29 school year, according to district officials.
Students will still remain on-site at Travis ECHS and will be moved to different areas of the campus that are not being operated on at the time, Segura said.
The $2.44 billion bond was approved by 70% of voters in November 2022. The program includes security upgrades and HVAC systems across district campuses, and modernization projects for 25 schools, including Travis ECHS, as previously reported by Community Impact.
Segura said the decision to modernize the high school came from a focus on equity during the planning process. Students in the area had been underserved, he said, and would continue to be “adversely affected” if they did not receive more financial support from the district.
“It's about investing where AISD hasn’t in decades past and getting it right as best we can now,” he said. “The idea is let's invest in our community. Let's do something incredible.”
Quote of note
AISD District 2 trustee Ofelia Zapata, who is a Travis ECHS alumna, said the project will leave an impact on students.
“This bond is going to bring justice to this community, to you students who will be the new generation to write the new chapter for Travis Rebels,” Zapata said. “This new space is going to have an environment where you are going to love learning at the highest level.”
