In April, Eanes ISD's Facilities Master Plan Taskforce entered its second phase of a yearlong process to determine the district's shared vision for the future. The task force will ultimately develop plans for specific changes to the district's nine campuses to accomplish this vision.
"It's more than just facilities," EISD Communications Director Claudia McWhorter said. "It's related to the district's vision and what we want for our
community."
On Feb. 26, EISD Superintendent Nola Wellman greeted residents attending the district's community movie night. Wellman and task force member Judith Hoskens participated in a public dialogue to determine what was important to constituents for the school district in the coming years.
"Students are no longer sitting in rows and staring at a blackboard," McWhorter said. "They are engaging with each other and the teacher using technology and group work—a totally different type of learning. And we want our facilities to support that and to provide that for our students."
EISD's facilities master plan project began in October, when school board members contracted with Broaddus Planning, a local firm specializing in campus planning, and Cunningham Group Architecture to provide long-term recommendations for improving the district and its facilities.
An advisory group representing all areas of the district was formed, McWhorter said. During the first phase of the five-phase project, the advisory group gathered community input on goals for the district. In February, the consultant team toured school sites relating the current facilities and programs to the feedback received from district stakeholders.
The Facilities Master Plan project is "a road map to the future," said Hoskens of Cunningham Group Architecture.
On April 10, group members outlined the vision, principles and facility standards needed to support EISD students' education in the coming years. The task force is scheduled to present its plan to the public at Valley View Elementary School April 11 at 6:30 p.m.
In October, Phase Two of the project is scheduled to culminate with a final plan of facility changes and an anticipated cost.
McWhorter said she cannot project what funding would be needed to implement any proposed objectives since the program is not even at its halfway point. However, "if it's something with a significant cost to it, then most likely it would be proposed through bond funding," McWhorter said.
The district originally drafted a facilities master plan in 2006 but it was not approved by school board members.
About the master plan
Thirteen committees made up of teachers, students, parents, staff, business owners and more will work together to form a master plan encompassing each of the nine EISD campuses. The committees will look at everything from instruction and enrichment to extracurriculars and operations.
During the process, committees will join consultants to hold a series of community events and capture input from community members.
The master plan will be prioritized, and recommendations for facility and overall improvements will help the Eanes ISD school board make future fiscal decisions.
