1.

What can be funded through a bond referendum?

2.

How did Austin ISD decide which projects would be included in the 2004 Bond Program?

3.

How has the District scheduled and prioritized 2004 Bond Program projects? If my school’s project is at the end of the bond program, will there still be money available?

4.

How did Austin ISD decide which projects would be included in the 2008 Bond Program?

5.

How are the technology improvements in the 2008 Bond Program being allocated to the individual campuses?

6.

With the new data warehouse and other technology upgrades, what is the District doing to ensure student information is secure?

7.

Is it safe to be doing construction on campuses when students are in school?

8.

As the District builds new schools, how will it decide where my child will go?

9.

What is Austin ISD doing to make sure the bond projects don’t harm the environment?

10.

Where can I find out more information about the bond programs?

1.

What can be funded through a bond referendum?
Funds received through referendums may only be used for capital improvements such as new construction, permanent structural improvement or restoration that enhances a property’s value. Each bond referendum has a pre-defined scope and once it has been passed, all work funded with those bond monies, including contingency funds, must align with that scope.

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2.

How did Austin ISD decide which projects would be included in the 2004 Bond Program?
The Austin ISD Board of Trustees created a Citizens’ Bond Advisory Committee in early 2003 to recommend a program for the September 2004 bond referendum. This committee reviewed and analyzed data and input from Austin ISD campus personnel, administrators, outside experts, students and families, and citizens and taxpayers in the community. The Board of Trustees then used the committee’s recommendations as the basis for the program submitted to voters for their approval.

As 2004 Bond Program work continues, top priorities for both the District and the bond committee remain the same, including:
• New investments to improve the quality and effectiveness of instruction;
• Campus safety and security;
• Overcrowding and the need for new schools; and
• Aging facilities throughout the District.

From the beginning, districtwide equity — a commitment that every child in Austin ISD would benefit from the 2004 Bond Program — has been a key component of this effort. The 2004 Bond Program includes projects at every Austin ISD campus and was developed with input from Austin ISD principals and from campus advisory councils.

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3.

How has the District scheduled and prioritized 2004 Bond Program projects? If my school’s project is at the end of the bond program, will there still be money available?
Implementation of the 2004 Bond Program has been phased over six years. Trying to do all the work at once would overwhelm the local construction industry and drive up construction costs substantially. District staff reviewed and prioritized 2004 Bond Program projects based on need, focusing first on safety and security measures and relieving current overcrowding; then on projects that resolve current health and safety issues; and then on enhancements that improved instructional effectiveness. The projects have been scheduled to ensure that work is done during each year of the 2004 Bond Program in each of the seven Board of Trustees’ districts. Each project was designed, and its budget determined, with inflation and future growth in mind. The 2004 Bond Program includes contingency funds to cover unexpected costs. So far, 2004 Bond Program projects have been completed within the resources allocated.

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4.

How did Austin ISD decide which projects would be included in the 2008 Bond Program?
As with the 2004 Bond Program, the Austin ISD Board of Trustees created a Citizens’ Bond Advisory Committee to develop recommendations for the 2008 bond referendum. The Board of Trustees used the recommendations as the basis for the program submitted to the voters in May 2008.

Top priorities for the Board of Trustees and the bond committee for the 2008 Bond Program included:
• Projects that are urgent in nature;
• Projects that are required by law; and
• Projects that must be addressed before another comprehensive bond
program takes place.

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5.

How are the technology improvements in the 2008 Bond Program being allocated to the individual campuses?
The District and its technology partners have conducted an in-depth assessment of each Austin ISD campus to determine its individual needs. Each allocation is determined in light of campus needs and available funds. Among the important factors considered in the allocation of technology are:
• Educational specifications;
• Approved curriculum specification changes;
• Life cycle of installed technology;
• Student population; and
• District Strategic Plan.

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6.

With the new data warehouse and other technology upgrades, what is the District doing to ensure student information is secure?
The new data warehouse product supports the use of Novell eDirectory, which the District currently uses for all security authentication to ensure that only staff who have been granted access can be authenticated and log in to major applications. Audit logs will provide detailed analysis on where a data request originated. Using the security web management console data warehouse administrators have the ability to configure dashboard roles, which in turn can be applied to specific groups allowing authenticated teachers to only see data on students that are assigned to their classes, principals to only see data on their school, and district staff to access district data. The data warehouse product uses a minimum 128-bit SSL encryption to ensure data communications between the user and the database cannot be intercepted.

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7.

Is it safe to be doing construction on campuses when students are in school?
The District is committed to safety on every project for every campus and has contracted with TASB (Texas Association of School Boards) safety experts to provide oversight. Contractors and subcontractors are required to submit a safety plan before they begin work on campuses. All workers must plan and perform their work in a safe manner, following standard procedures and seeking advice from the consultants if there is any doubt regarding how to proceed. All general contractors, in partnership with appropriate staff, must review work plans and project execution to assure that only qualified personnel are assigned, and that safety procedures are consistently incorporated into every task and project.

Each contractor working on projects in the bond programs must perform criminal background checks on all workers. The contractor must maintain records of these background checks at the work site. Contractors who fail to meet these requirements can be held in default and forced to stop work.

All contractors, subcontractors and workers are required at all times to wear a visible photo-ID badge with the name of the worker and firm. Austin ISD safety consultants conduct periodic random checks to monitor compliance with these requirements and to ensure safe working conditions. The safety consultant takes immediate action to resolve any safety or compliance issues.

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8.

As the District builds new schools, how will it decide where my child will go?
The Board of Trustees has created a Facility Use and Boundary Task Force to address this issue; this group began meeting in September of 2004. The Board appoints 10 core members to this group; as new schools move forward, the District appoints additional members from the affected geographic areas.

For more information about the Facility Use and Boundary Task Force click here.

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9.

What is Austin ISD doing to make sure the bond projects don’t harm the environment?
Sustainability and environmental stewardship are important values to Austin and to Austin ISD. The bond programs incorporate many projects and elements designed to conserve energy and water, achieve healthy indoor air quality and protect the environment. The District committed $8-$10 per square foot of construction costs specifically for environmental and energy-saving measures.

All new school buildings and additions will be built to achieve a minimum two-star rating in Austin Energy’s Green Building Program. Required features include:
• Stormwater-runoff and water-quality controls;
• Roofing to reduce heat island effects;
• 15 percent increase in energy efficiency;
• 15 percent reduction in water use;
• Use of low volatile organic compound (VOC) paints;
• Storage and collection of recyclables; and
• Construction waste plan to recycle or salvage 50 percent of construction debris.

As well, major renovations and retrofits will incorporate best-value elements of the Green Building Program, including
• 15 percent improvement in energy efficiency of HVAC systems;
• Increased thermal insulation;
• Automated temperature and lighting controls;
• Energy-efficient lighting and daylighting;
• Low-leakage windows and doors;
• Low-water-use fixtures; and
• High-performance roofing replacement strategies.

Landscaping will incorporate native, low-water-use plants and trees for shading western-and southern-facing windows.

In addition, Austin ISD is implementing other sustainability measures and working hand-in-hand with Austin Energy to maximize existing efficiency rebates and incentives, modify Green Building Program policies for the unique attributes of school projects, and develop customized strategies for energy efficiency.

These measures complement other sustainability strategies in progress at AISD, including:
• 150 low-emission busses plus one plug-in hybrid bus purchased (with partial funding from an Austin Energy grant) through the 2004 Bond Program;
• Approximately 116 additional low-emission busses, one plug-in hybrid bus and six propane busses purchased through the 2008 Bond Program;
• Development of board policy and formal sustainability commitment;
• Installation of electrical capacitor banks (pending);
• An energy conservation program and summer efficiency shutdown program to reduce energy consumption at all facilities; and
• Additional sustainable improvements through grants and loans from the State Energy Conservation Office.

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10.

Where can I find out more information about the bond programs?
Visit the Austin ISD bond programs website at www.theappleatwork.com, or call the bond programs hotline at 414-BOND.

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