Austin ISD completed $18.7 million in renovations at Williams Elementary to build full walls and doors between classrooms in the open-concept campus. (Courtesy Austin ISD)
This school year, Austin ISD students returned to newly renovated campuses at Cook and Williams elementary schools.
District officials celebrated the completion of renovation work to the campuses with ribbon-cutting ceremonies at Williams Elementary on Dec. 1 and Cook Elementary on Dec. 5. The projects, totaling $33.7 million, were funded by the district’s $2.44 billion bond election that was approved by voters in 2022.
The breakdown
AISD completed $15 million in renovations at North Austin campus Cook Elementary and $18.7 million in upgrades at Williams Elementary, a school in South Austin. Construction on the campuses began in the summer of 2024 and ended this summer.
The district revamped the open-concept floor plans at each campus by adding full walls and doors between classrooms. The upgrades were intended to improve students' overall safety and experience on campus, according to AISD information.
Additionally, Williams Elementary received the following improvements:
Secure entry vestibule
Modernized administrative space
HVAC, electrical and roofing upgrades
Cook Elementary received the following improvements:
Secure entry vestibule
School mental health center
Community pantry
HVAC upgrades
Cook Elementary received upgrades to classroom spaces as well as a new school mental health center. (Courtesy Austin ISD)
Something to note
Cook Elementary is one of 42 campuses that is slated to receive a school mental health center through the 2022 bond, according to district documents.
The centers allow students to receive short-term therapy from licensed mental health professionals and counselors. The on-campus services are designed to reduce barriers like transportation and costs that may prevent students from accessing mental health care, according to AISD information.
At Cook Elementary, 94% of students were economically disadvantaged in the 2023-24 school, according to district data.
The background
The 2022 bond allocated funding to modernize 25 campuses and renovate four open-concept schools, including Cook, Oak Hill, Odom and Williams elementaries.
If the district realizes bond savings from closing a campus, district officials may decide how to reinvest those funds into other schools, according to district documents. The 2022 bond "is currently over budget because of rising construction costs and inflation," AISD's recommended school consolidation plan from Oct. 31 states.
