In order to conduct road improvements on FM 1626, Travis County's Transportation and Natural Resources department has purchased 0.679 acres of land adjacent to Austin ISD's Menchaca Elementary School. The district's board of trustees voted on consent to approve the purchase at a Feb. 27 meeting.

The proposed work would include widening FM 1626 from Brodie Lane to FM 2304. The construction is in response to the traffic increase along the highway.

In lieu of seizure of the land, the county offered to pay AISD the fair market value, appraised at $154,372.

Following the vote, trustee Paul Saldaña, whose jurisdiction includes a portion of Southwest Austin, wondered why the money derived from the sale were not allocated directly toward Menchaca.

While the revenue from the sale was not budgeted toward a specific campus, AISD Chief Financial Officer Nicole Conley said the money would be used to help defray costs associated with maintenance across school buildings, including Menchaca.

"You can certainly see those monies going back to help offset the cost associated with Menchaca," Conley said.