1.

After the bond programs were approved, how has the District decided which projects are most important? How have they been scheduled and prioritized? If my school’s project is at the end, will there still be money available?

2.

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

3.

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

4.

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

5.

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

6.

What steps is Austin ISD taking to ensure that students, faculty and staff, and project workers are kept safe and secure during construction?

7.

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

1.

After the bond programs were approved, how has the District decided which projects are most important? How have they been scheduled and prioritized? If my school’s project is at the end, will there still be money available?
The 2004 Bond Program is scheduled to be completed over six years and the 2008 Bond Program is scheduled to be completed over four years. This is largely because trying to do all the work at once would tax the capacity of the local construction industry and likely cause construction costs to increase substantially.

After the voters approved the 2004 Bond Program, Austin ISD staff reviewed and prioritized projects based on need, focusing first on safety and security measures and relieving current overcrowding; then on projects that resolved current health and maintenance issues; and then on enhancements that improved instructional effectiveness.

The District then scheduled the projects to ensure that work is done during each phase of the bond program in each geographic region of Austin ISD (that is, each of the seven Board of Trustees districts).

To determine the allocation of the technology improvements in the 2008 Bond Program, first, an in-depth assessment of each campus will be conducted to determine its individual needs. Once assessments are complete, each allocation will be determined in light of campus needs and available funds. Among the important factors that will be considered in the allocation of technology are:

• Educational specifications;


• Approved curriculum specification changes;


• Life cycle of installed technology;


• Student population; and


• District strategic plan.

[ Back to Top ]

2.

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.

[ Back to Top ]

3.

How did Austin ISD decide what 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 bond election. This committee met 17 times to review and analyze data and input from Austin ISD campus personnel, administrators, outside experts, students and families, and citizens and taxpayers in the community.

This effort also included four public forums throughout the district and reports from Austin ISD’s Community Safety Task Force. The Board of Trustees then used the committee’s recommendations as the basis for the bond programs specific projects, which were submitted to voters and approved in September 2004.


Top priorities for both the district and the bond committee included:
• Campus safety and security;
• Overcrowding and the need for new schools;
• Aging and deteriorating facilities throughout the district; and
• New investments to improve the quality and effectiveness of instruction.

From the beginning, district-wide equity — a commitment that every child in Austin ISD would benefit from the Bond Program — has been a key component of this effort. The bond program includes projects at every single Austin ISD campus, and was developed with input from every Austin ISD principal and from campus advisory councils.

[ Back to Top ]

4.

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

A 21-member Citizen’s Bond Advisory Committee, appointed by the Board of Trustees and the Superintendent, worked many months analyzing information and visiting various sites and campuses. The committee developed recommendations that include projects considered urgent in nature, or are required by law, and must be addressed before another comprehensive bond program takes place.

The charge of the committee was to:

• Review and analyze 2008 Bond Program information and recommendations provided by staff.


• Seek community input on the proposed scope to help prioritize and make recommendations to the Board.


• Assist the District in the communication of factual information to the community about the proposed scope of work, if the 2008 Bond Program was ultimately adopted by the Board.

[ Back to Top ]

5.

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:
• Low-emission bus purchases: 150 buses total plus one plug-in hybrid in the 2004 Bond Program; and in the 2008 Bond Program approximately 116 low-emission buses and 14 plug-in hybrid buses (pending the results of the current viability study comparing the plug-in hybrid to a 2007 low-emission diesel bus).
• Green Choice Power commitments for approximately 40 percent of district energy requirements;
• District education program through the State Energy Conservation Office;
• Development of board policy and formal sustainability commitment; and
• Installation of electrical capacitor banks.

[ Back to Top ]

6.

What steps is Austin ISD taking to ensure that students, faculty and staff, and project workers are kept safe and secure during construction?
Each contractor working on projects in the bond program must perform criminal background checks on all workers. Any workers with felony convictions for sexual offenses or crimes of moral turpitude (theft, bribery, fraud, perjury, etc.) are ineligible to work on Austin ISD bond projects. Records of these background checks must be maintained by the contractor 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 ID badge with the name of the worker and firm. The Austin ISD safety consultant will conduct periodic random checks to monitor compliance with these requirements and to ensure safe working conditions. The safety consultant will take appropriate action to resolve any safety or compliance issues.

[ Back to Top ]

7.

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.

[ Back to Top ]