Background of Citizens’ 2004 Bond Advisory Committee

The mission of the Austin School District is that All students will progress academically and intellectually and will graduate prepared for personal success and inspired to contribute to society. To provide facilities that will accommodate every student’s achievement, the AISD Board of Trustees created the Citizens’ 2004 Bond Advisory Committee to make recommendations for new facilities and for renovations to existing facilities.

Members of the committee include:

John Blazier (tri-chair)
Sheryl Cole (tri-chair)
Vincent Torres (tri-chair)
Laurie Allen
Rebecca Lightsey
Dorcas Seals
Mark Boyden
Annette LoVoi
Vicky Valdez
Jeff Ferris (ex-officio)
Louise Lynch
Jeff Walker
Olga Garza
Marvin Griffin
Horace Willis
Donetta Goodall
Greg Hartman
Marguerite Jones
Roy Salinas

The Committee began its work in March 2004, and met 17 times to review and to analyze facility assessment data, to consider departmental requests, and to receive recommendations from the Interscholastic Sports Task Force and the Community Safety Task Force. It quickly became apparent to committee members that the following issues were to be their top priorities:

• Campus safety and security.
• Overcrowding.
• Aging, deteriorating school facilities, and
• Academic enhancement.

In addition to their regular committee meetings, members also hosted four public forums to inform the AISD community of the process used to develop bond recommendations, to provide general information regarding the proposed 2004 Bond Program, and to receive citizen input. These forums were held as follows:

• McCallum High School – February 17, 2004
• Small Middle School – February 26, 2004
• Mendez Middle School – March 2, 2004
• Martin Middle School – March 4, 2004

During its deliberations regarding the construction of additional school facilities and classrooms, the Committee benefited from the expertise of an independent demographic expert who provided analyses on enrollment assumptions of growth, dropout rates, construction patterns, and other factors relating to present and future student population. When presented with renovation needs totaling more than $600 million, the Committee utilized the expertise of campus principals and volunteer architects, engineers, and construction professionals. These individuals conducted comprehensive assessments of district facilities, providing detailed and current information necessary to make informed recommendations regarding facility renovations.

The Committee’s Recommendation — The Committee devoted itself to ensuring equity so that every child throughout the District would be positively touched. The Committee’s recommendations, which include the following, reflect this commitment:

• Comprehensive major renovations at schools throughout the district to protect taxpayers’ investment.
• The construction of new schools, the purchase of future school sites, and the construction of classroom additions at various school locations to relieve overcrowding.
• Security improvements at all schools to enhance student safety and protect property.
• Academic enhancements throughout the district to provide an equitable learning environment for all AISD students.