Several overcrowded schools in Northwest Austin could see relief, including from a new elementary school, with help from Austin ISD’s updated Facility Master Plan. All total, projects in the districtwide plan could cost $4.6 billion, and much of the money would likely depend on future bond elections, AISD Chief Financial Officer Nicole Conley Johnson said. The update calls for building five new schools, replacing three existing schools, fully modernizing 62 schools, renovating 38 schools, upgrading six schools’ systems, repurposing two facilities and placing five schools on a target utilization plan list. Approval of the revamped plan laid groundwork for the district to decide how to move forward, said board Secretary Julie Cowan, who serves as trustee for AISD’s District 4 in Northwest Austin. “This is really just the first step,” she said. “We haven’t even determined yet what size that bond will be because we really haven’t surveyed voters.”

‘20- to 25-year roadmap’

The master plan outlined current uses and future modernization of AISD schools over the next two decades. Superintendent Paul Cruz said the update gave the district detailed information to make decisions, but the master plan is just one part of the process. “The work we have ahead of us is complex,” Cruz said prior to the AISD board vote to approve the plan on April 3. “This is a 20- to 25-year roadmap.” In March, representatives from the district’s 18-member Facilities and Bond Planning Advisory Committee, or FABPAC, presented trustees with recommendations for updates to the Facility Master Plan. The plan’s approval gave the advisory committee the green light to initiate bond planning for the projects to be considered as part of the potential November bond election. “It is expected that the plan will serve as a baseline for planning of the November bond election and for subsequent bond elections in future years,” said CherylAnn Campbell, a committee chairwoman, in March.

Crowded classrooms

Although AISD’s enrollment is projected to decline slightly each year for the next decade, some schools are experiencing overcrowding, including three in the Northwest Austin area: Doss Elementary School, Hill Elementary School and Murchison Middle School. According to the updated plan, Doss and Murchison will be expanded and modernized to accommodate their growing student populations. Doss, which received a poor facility condition score during district-commissioned assessments and is currently at 162 percent of its student capacity, would be addressed in the first six years of updated plan’s implementation. Hill is at 140 percent of its capacity and would be addressed in years six through 12. At 122 percent of its permanent capacity, Murchison would be expanded within the first 12 years of the plan’s implementation. A new elementary school also would be built in Northwest Austin within the first six years of the plan’s implementation to further relieve overcrowding at Doss and Hill elementary schools. However, the size and location of the new school would be determined once AISD purchases land and completes a site study.

‘The Worst First’

Projects were prioritized based on a system coined by the advisory committee as “The Worst First,” wherein schools that present the greatest need will be addressed first. Projects within the Facility Master Plan are contingent upon funding acquired through future bond elections. According to data from engineering firm AECOM, 39 percent of AISD’s schools are in poor or very poor condition, 22 percent have unsatisfactory educational suitability scores, 17 percent are overcrowded and 27 percent are considered under-enrolled. Based on AECOM’s assessments, project management firm Brailsford & Dunlavey designed data-based improvement options for each school. From there, the advisory committee formed recommendations for the plan based on what it called “the three pillars” of data collection and analysis, academic vision and programming, and community collaboration and feedback. “It’s important to start with the facts and then get your layering of community input,” Brailsford & Dunlavey Project Manager Greg Smith said. Long-term modernization served as a backbone to the updates, according to the master plan. Each AISD school, regardless of the advisory committee’s recommendations, will eventually include flexible learning spaces and new technology, according to the plan. Advisory committee members fielded pleas from parents who disagreed with the recommendations. Committee member Michael Bocanegra said the committee ultimately shied away from making decisions based on individual needs, despite disagreements from some parents. Bocanegra said that for some community members, modernizing facilities was a tough sell. “AISD has been one way for a long time, so when we were trying to get people to envision modernization, it’s difficult,” Bocanegra said.

Next steps

The first opportunity for an AISD bond election would be Nov. 7 if trustees call for one in June, Johnson said. The updated plan’s timeline also calls for a community collaboration series to happen in mid-May, allowing the FABPAC to present bond recommendations and receive feedback. Cowan said she “felt really good about the work” done by the consultants and the advisory committee. She said it will be important for AISD parents and community members to remain engaged as the district moves forward. “We are very hungry in this district. We have a lot of need,” Cowan said. “We also have to be very respectful with what taxpayers are willing to provide us.” Additional reporting by Evan Marczynski