Anderson PTSAAnderson High School, Austin Texas

Presented  by Julie Cowan, CBAC member and Anderson & Murchison parent

As many of you know, the AISD Board of Trustees in October charged a group of community members (Citizens’ Bond Advisory Committee/CBAC) to study the possibility of proposing a bond package to the voters of Austin.  Considering the directives we were given and by resolution of the committee, it was decided to use the following criteria and guidelines to establish what projects could be included.

            -Meet building/health code requirements and safety changes

            -Meet new state graduation requirements (known as 4×4)

            -Provide relief for schools currently at 125% of permanent capacity

            -Replace building components subject to eminent failure

            -Make building system improvements critical to energy efficiency and environmental responsiveness

In addition, the nature of the projects must be

            -Urgent and important (cannot wait until a larger, more comprehensive bond project for 2011/2012)

            -Take advantage of time-sensitive opportunities

            -Have a minimal tax-rate impact

All school principals and PTA presidents were given the opportunity to share their needs with the committee.  Twenty-eight did so.  And, in fact, many of their projects are currently in the proposed bond package. 

Items originally proposed by the AISD staff and superintendent’s cabinet include:

1.  Campus cafeteria renovations required by the Health Dept.  $4.7 million

2.  Linder Elementary land acquisition     $1.7 million

3.  Linder Elementary 8 classroom addition with commons  $4.2 million

4.  Southeast middle school  $50.5 million

5.  High school science classrooms to meet four-year science requirement  $17.5 million

6.  Southwest Elementary  $26 million

7.  Mueller Airport Elementary $26 million

8.  Murchison Middle School 8 classroom addition $4.1 million

9.  Performing Arts Center $19.9 million

10.  Menchaca Elementary internal drive  $.6 million

11.  Floor replacement in the Cold Storage Warehouse  $.7 million

12.  Capacitor bank installation to improve power factor  $8.1 million

13.  Upgrade payroll software  $1.1 million

14.  Replace ground loop systems at selected campuses  $11.7 million

15.  Low emission school buses  $13.2 million

16.  Recommendations of the long-range central services housing study  $8.8 million

The CBAC ultimately made many changes to the original list, after reviewing pertinent data and hearing from staff.  Items that are currently being proposed include:

Relief for Overcrowding/Growth

1.  Barrington Elementary eight classroom addition  $4.3 million

2.  Hart Elementary eight classroom addition  $4.4 million

3.  Linder Elementary eight classroom addition with commons  $5.1 million

4.  Linder Elementary land acquisition  $506,000

5.  Langford Elementary eight classroom addition $4.3 million

6.  Undesignated Elementary school  $25 million

7.  Undesignated Elementary school land acquisition  $2.5 million

Academic Achievement

8.  High school laboratory additions/renovations to meet new state science requirements $35.6 million

9.  Technology Improvements  $69.8 million

Health and Safety

10.  Campus cafeteria kitchen renovations required by the Travis County Health Dept.  $1.8 million

11.  Menchaca Elementary internal roadway  $827,000

Environmental Improvements

12.  Purchase of low-emission school buses  $12.2 million

13.  Capacitor bank installation to improve power factor  $14.5 million

Renovations and Upgrades to Protect Taxpayers’ Investments

14.  Critical renovations and various campuses $31.5 million

15.  Additional projects, as submitted by principals and various district departments $5.3 million

16.  Upgrade of payroll software $1 million

17.  Funding option to address repair of cold-storage warehouse floor  $6.2 million

TOTAL

$225,451,733

You might notice that the CBAC deleted several large dollar projects.  These include a district Performing Arts Center, a middle school to be built in the southeast, an elementary school to be built in the Mueller Airport development, an elementary to be built in the southwest, and a study to analyze land use by district offices.  There are multiple reasons for our recommendation.  The PAC decision had been contingent upon land that was available for a short term near the Long Center for the Performing Arts and it has been decided that that site really would not meet the needs of this project.  Data to support a southeast middle school and a Mueller Airport elementary was not convincing as surrounding schools are under capacity and boundary lines could accommodate student growth until a comprehensive package was passed by the voters.  The southwest elementary school may be built with money from the current 2004 bond.  The district took the study to analyze use of land at the Carruth Administrative Center and Baker Center off the table early in this process.

So, what’s in the proposed bond specifically for our vertical team?

Anderson – Four new science classrooms with an elevator, as the building would be two stories

Anderson – Replace selected air handling units

Anderson – Construct four tennis courts to meet district educational specifications

Davis – Replace moveable partition between cafeteria and gym

Doss – Replace condenser and multizone air handling unit in 300 wing

Doss – Replace electric drinking fountains to put them in ADA compliance

Doss – Install locking system for doors to classroom pods

Hill – Install locking system for doors to classroom pods

Summitt – Replace heat pump units at cafeteria, gym, and kitchen

Anderson, Davis, Doss, Hill, Murchison, Summitt – technology improvements, including wireless internet connections, refresh teacher computers with laptops over a 4-year period, student response systems,

         mobile carts, gradebook, student info system, and more

All schools – Low-emission school buses, a working cold-storage warehouse, capacitor banks, payroll

        software

What’s not in the proposed bond for our vertical team?

Murchison – Classroom addition, originally slated for 8 rooms at a cost of $3.9 million. 

The district staff and their consultant demographers believe that Murchison’s capacity will not rise over the next five years.  Therefore, the criteria for building an addition were not met.  There was much discussion about removing this item from the list because some committee members did visit Murchison to view its overcrowding.  And in fact, because some argued that our numbers did not currently merit this addition the same argument was made to keep the SE middle school off the list.

There are so many factors that played a part in the decisions made by this committee.  One (short) article does not do the subject justice.  I have much data and information to share, should anyone wish to know more.

So, what’s next for our vertical team schools and the district?  Two public hearings being held by the CBAC are coming up this week at Covington Middle School on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 6 p.m. and LBJ High School on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 6 p.m.  The CBAC meets, again, on Jan. 22 to review its work and make a final decision.  The tri-chairs of the committee will present the final project list to the Board of Trustees on Monday, Jan. 28.  After that, I think there will be more public hearings to directly address the Board.  Once the board finalizes the package, the bond proposal is slated to go to the voters May 10, 2008. 

Do I agree with all decisions made in this proposal?  No.  Do I think what has been included is worthy of this “interim” bond?  Yes.  Do I think a comprehensive bond, costing more money that would have done more for the schools should be introduced?  Possibly.  There are arguably many sides to this.   The district is in the last 1/3 – 1/4 of its work on the 2004 bond.  Although Anderson’s portion of this work was started late, I think it will all be complete by the end of next summer.  And, a good portion of the work at our vertical team schools has been completed or is in the process.  I’d like to stress that district staff has said everything that was originally passed by voters in the 2004 bond will be completed.  Nothing will be omitted, as a commitment has been made, even though constructions materials and associated costs are skyrocketing.  All in all, the district took on an enormous construction load with the 2004 bond and I believe they have done a good job of working through it.  (Improvements from 2004 bond:  Anderson $4,162,900; Murchison $2,939,300; Davis $670,230; Doss $2,544,030; Hill $554,730; Summitt $1,383,530)  On another note, Austin voters have not seen a tax increase due to the 2004 bond package, even though they voted to accept one, should it be necessary.  The total amount of the 2004 bond:  $519,526,616.  The total tax rate that could have been imposed:  $.0465. 

A number of our Anderson parents have chosen to attend the LBJ public hearing and to speak on behalf of our needs.  We hope parents from our entire vertical team will be there to show support for our wonderful Anderson vertical team  schools.  Please know that just because some projects are currently not included or may not have even been discussed by the committee does not mean you cannot attend to let your voice be heard about areas of concern important to you.  But, I do ask that you first of all thank the committee for its work.  Hundreds of hours have been spent by 21 volunteers and the facilities management staff to come to this point.  And, unless you sat through all of the meetings, you cannot even realize what 120+ facilities need to stay in working order.  Add to that families moving in and out of the district at dizzying rates, schools way over and way under capacity, and a strangling, stingy funding system that the Legislature mandated and you’ve got more things to consider than imaginable.    

I plan to attend the Anderson Band Boosters meeting on Monday, Jan. 14, at 6 p.m. to discuss this bond proposal in further detail.  We meet in the band hall and I’m sure any and all are welcome to attend to learn more about the proposed 2008 bond package.  You may also visit the AISD website to learn more details about the bond.  Go to www.austinisd.org.  Click on The Apple at Work – AISD Bond Program.  Click on Citizens’ 2008 Bond Advisory Committee.  I also encourage you to contact your local principal to learn more about her/his strategy at the public hearing this week. 

Thanks so much for your interest in the bond.  If you have further questions, please call me at 794-9389. 

Julie Cowan