Austin ISD welcomes students, staff and community members Dec. 8 to a site dedication for the modernized Norman Elementary School. The dedication will begin at 10 a.m. at the campus in northeast Austin, 4001 Tannehill Lane.

The dedication ceremony celebrates Norman's past by recognizing its namesake, Granville Webster Norman, an African-American educator who served Austin children for 32 years - from 1894 until 1928. Norman students will stage a living history museum where they'll dress like G.W. Norman and other local, historical figures of that time.

"We are inviting all former students of Norman and Sims elementary schools to attend the dedication," said Wendy Mills, principal of the co-located schools. "We are also actively searching for the living descendants of G.W. Norman to invite them to join us as we honor his legacy."

Constructed in 1969, Norman is one of the district's first schools to undergo a $25 million modernization from the 2017 Bond Program. The campus temporarily closed in 2018 and will reopen in fall 2020. Its students are attending nearby Sims Elementary School during construction. 

Modernization is the process that transforms schools into 21st-century learning spaces, characterized by the smart use of space, integration of technology, collaborative workstations, outdoor learning spaces and student mobility in the classroom. These modernized spaces will incorporate technology as an essential tool for research, analysis and communication in the information age.

The Austin ISD 2017 Bond Program is an investment in the district's facilities, teachers and staff, and students. On Nov. 7, 2017, Austin voters approved the $1.05 billion bond proposal to create 21st-century learning spaces for all students. Every school benefits. Key projects in the bond include:

• Constructing 17 new or modernized campus facilities;
• Improvements to address overcrowding and critical needs; and,
• Districtwide improvements to technology and transportation.