Eanes ISD discusses 10-year master plan

Developing students

Eanes ISD Superintendent Nola Wellman said the school district isn't growing by leaps and bounds, which gave the district an opportunity to look at the future and how it sees students developing through learning.

"[Not having to worry about growth] allowed us to see the plan through the lens of the classrooms we have available," she said. "Times have changed. The spaces we have are becoming more and more antiquated and are holding our students back. The facilities we have are not adequate for the kinds of programs that kids are interested in and that we see in the future."

Wellman said the furniture the schools have is not conducive to small groups, collaboration and use of technology.

"In a lot of ways our spaces and furniture prohibit that kind of learning," she said.

Upgrading facilities

The master plan proposal consists of a number of changes for each campus, including the addition of a western elementary school and a multipurpose facility next to the high school.

Wellman said the improvements put a focus on benefits to both the students and the community as a whole.

"Thinking about the learning potential is exciting to me," she said. "Every school, instead of a model of the 1950s, will become a model of 2015 as we design these learning spaces for the schools."

Hopkins said the current design of the schools is that of the industrial model of education, with the teacher placed at the front of the classrooms lecturing.

"All of us learn differently," Hopkins said. "[With the master plan] we look at how we can provide a range of learning experiences so we can let the students reach their full potential. We focused on learning and the skills we want students to have in order to be successful in whatever path they choose."

Hopkins said the plan establishes beliefs and principles, and the improvements will help overcome the physical limitations hindering those beliefs.

"You wouldn't walk into a doctor's office and expect it to look like it did in the 1950s," she said. "Unfortunately, some of our schools still do."

Wellman said the plan would give the district more opportunities for world-class activities and enrichment.

"We want to have expanded band and choir programs [and generally] have the facilities to maximize the talents of the students," Wellman said. "There have been times we haven't been able to recruit the top [educators] in their areas because of the lack of facilities," Wellman said. "The changes in the master plan could give us facilities to promote."