After the Austin Independent School District鈥檚 last attempt at adopting a ten year master plan for its 12 million square feet of property was derailed in the spring, the AISD school board is scheduled tonight to hear some of the most specific proposals yet from Superintendent Meria Carstarphen on how to address issues such as overcrowding.
You can see the slides for tonight鈥檚 presentation . Carstarphen will be less focused on drafting a long-term facilities plan at this evening's meeting; instead she will on several short-term proposals.
The most immediate proposals for next school year include:
- Designating money from the to build a new elementary school in North Central Austin. (Note: A previous version of this story had erroneously said the plan was to build a new middle school. We regret the error)
- Expanding two-way dual language programs . Three would be English-Spanish (Blanton, Casey, and Galindo Elementary Schools) and one would be English-Chinese or English-Korean (Doss Elementary School)
- focused on college prep
- : the Alternative Learning Center and Alternative Center for Elementary Students
Two ideas that could be implemented in 2012-13 after 鈥渁dditional vetting鈥� include:
- Creating serving 650 boys and 650 girls in grades 6 through 8. The new schools鈥� attendance zones by combining Pearce and Garcia Middle Schools鈥� attendance zones into one.
- A so-called 鈥溾�� aimed at preventing drop outs and helping students catch up on high school. The program could be established at across the district.
Carstarphen believes if those changes are implemented, it could clear the path to assign all sixth graders at north central elementary schools. For example, sixth graders at Barrington and Brown would attend Webb Middle School.
The district hopes these objectives would not only help relieve overcrowding at north central schools, but also would help improve academic outcomes at some of its struggling campuses.
However, many parents and students are tired of change and suspicious of the district, after the last facilities master plan called for closing several schools based on questionable facilities data.
"Every year you're doing something different,鈥� 17-year-old Eddie Perez said Thursday during a presentation by the district, . 鈥淚f you choose one of those plans and it doesn't work, then in 2015-16, are you going to have another plan for the school? Are you going to do that yearly? Are you actually thinking about us?"
Separately, school board members are scheduled to vote on tonight to join over school funding. The suit is being fought by veteran school finance lawyer David Thompson. Here鈥檚 requesting AISD involvement.
Tonight鈥檚 AISD board meeting will be broadcast on Time Warner Cable Channel 22 and . You can follow on Twitter by .
