This is an old, old thread. There hasn't been a post in two and a half years. But, being an AISD student myself, I felt the need to update it. This is the most effort I've ever put into a post on this forum, but whatever, I've been into the construction of schools for a long time. This is just the culmination.
As we all know, the 2017 Bond passed. It was pretty much a landslide, at 72-28. Most of these projects have been under construction for a solid year or two now, and some of them are really impressive.
High Schools
Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders
Budget: $70M
Proposed Capacity: 1,015
The 2017 Bond funded a Full Modernization of Ann Richards. The existing campus dates back to the 1950s and was designed as a middle school. Construction on the new campus started in March 2019 and is expected to complete in December 2020. This one makes me a little jealous. Or maybe that's just me being trans. Happy day of visibility, y'all!
Renderings of the new school:
Site progress from early February:
Bowie High School
Budget (for both Phases): $91M
Proposed Capacity: 2,900
The 2017 Bond funded Phase I of the Bowie HS Full Modernization. Phase I consists of a three-story parking structure with rooftop tennis courts. The rooftop tennis courts will replace the existing ground-level courts, as Phase II of the Bowie Renovation will be built on their site.
Construction on the garage started in June 2019, and completion is expected in June 2020. This project has been posted about in the South Austin Projects thread multiple times.
Here are renderings of the garage:
Here is progress as of late February:
Eastside Memorial Early College High School / International High School
Budget: $81M
Proposed Capacity: 800
The 2017 Bond funded a shuffle of some East Austin high schools. Eastside Memorial and International High Schools will be leaving their current Johnston Campus, and moving to a new campus on the site of the Old Anderson High School. The existing school on that site was closed in the 1970s and demolished in late 2018.
The new Eastside Memorial campus will be something unlike any other school in the district. AISD really outdid themselves here. The main school tower is four (!) stories and will also hold the relocated International High School. Construction on the new campus started in December 2018 and is expected to be complete by July 2021.
The existing Johnston Campus will receive $4M of renovations before the Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) moves there in 2021.
Here are some assorted renderings:
Here is current site progress from the same angle as the second rendering:
LBJ Early College High School
Budget: $26M
Proposed Capacity: 1,842
The existing LBJ Campus is split between LBJ High School and LASA. When LASA leaves the LBJ campus in 2021, it will be significantly renovated.
There's not going to be any significant construction, but there is a rendering of the renovated entrance, and it's pretty good looking.
Middle Schools
Blazier Relief School
Technically, this is an elementary school. But I don't like to categorize it like that. So sue me. Blazier's attendance zone will be home to huge new developments in the next decade, with some already under construction. This school will offer Grades 4-6 a separate campus than the K-3 kids at the old Blazier site.
Construction started in May 2019 and should end by August of this year. This will likely be the next school to open in the district. Frankly, I think it looks ugly as hell.
Renderings:
Current site progress:
Murchison Middle School
Budget: $24M
Proposed Capacity: 1,700
The expansion of Murchison will make it the largest middle school in AISD by capacity. For a period of over a decade ending only last school year, Murchison had the highest enrollment of any middle school in the city, and it's been the most overcrowded for much longer than that.
The new expansion will house the 6th grade in their own three-story wing. Currently, the entire 6th grade is housed in portable classrooms. Construction started in June 2019 and is expected to end in January 2021. Some roofing will also be replaced at an additional cost of $1.5M.
Rendering of the 6th grade wing:
Construction progress, with the portable classrooms in shot:
New Northeast Middle School
Budget: $61M
Proposed Capacity: 800
This is the long-awaited Mueller school. A design hasn't been finalized yet, but should be around October of this year. Construction should start in January 2021 and finish in August 2022. It might seem odd to build another school while AISD is losing students, but this will accompany the closing of at least one of the 1950s Northeast Austin Middle Schools.
Elementary Schools
Brentwood Elementary School
Budget: $36M
Proposed Capacity: 696
Brentwood Elementary will undergo a partial renovation, partial rebuild. This solution allows students to remain on-site during the modernization. Given that Brentwood had the lowest FCA score of any school that wasn't literally falling apart, this rebuild is probably a good thing. Construction will start in April 2020 and wrap up by August 2022.
Rendering:
Casis Elementary School
Budget: $35M
Proposed Capacity: 870
As one of two schools to have severe structural damage discovered in 2016, Casis will be fully rebuilt. The new school will be one of the largest Elementary Schools in the city. Construction started in March 2020 and is expected to be completed in August 2022.
Rendering:
Doss Elementary School
Budget: $43M
Proposed Capacity: 870
With one of the tightest schedules of any 2017 Bond project at 1.5 years, the demolition and reconstruction of Doss is expected to be completed by July 2020. Unlike most other rebuilt campuses in the bond program, the existing school couldn't be preserved through construction. For the 2019-2020 school year, Doss students were moved to the Lucy Read Pre-K Campus in portable classrooms.
The new campus will be the largest elementary school in AISD by floor area while still meeting impervious cover restrictions.
Rendering:
Construction progress (Murchison can be seen in the background):
Govalle Elementary School
Budget: $33M
Capacity: 522
Phase I of the project was completed in February of 2020, marking the third school opening of the 2017 Bond Program. Phase II will be completed by August, with demolition of the previous Govalle Elementary complete by June 2020. This one got less publicity than other bond projects, but it's the oldest school to be rebuilt so far.
Menchaca Elementary School
Budget: $33M
Capacity: 870
Menchaca was the first school to open as part of the 2017 Bond. The modernized campus is formed by two buildings with a shared skybridge. The buildings form a courtyard, "creating direct links between the outdoors and learning environments." Sounds pretentious to me. Demolition of the former Menchaca Elementary should be wrapping up in April.
New Southwest Elementary
Budget: $36M
Proposed Capacity: 522
This is a relief school for the heavily overcrowded Kiker and Baranoff Elementary Schools. New construction south of SH 45 filled Kiker to 155% capacity and Baranoff to 120%. That's bordering on absurd.
The new school draws inspiration from the Hill Country. By that, I mean it looks like a mansion, shingled roof and all. Frankly, this design makes me want to go back to Elementary School. They have two skybridges connecting the second floor of the main building to the administration wing. They have an observation deck looking over the Hill Country. They have another nature inspired courtyard. Maybe it's a South Austin thing.
Rendering:
The real beauty of the bunch, the construction photos:
Norman Elementary School
Budget: $25M
Proposed Capacity: 486
Sims Elementary is closing and moving to a shared campus on Norman's site. For the time being, Norman is sharing a campus with Sims on their property while Norman gets modernized. This would probably be more awkward if these weren't elementary schoolers.
Construction started in April 2019 and is expected to finish in January 2021.
Rendering:
Construction progress:
Sanchez Elementary
Budget: $25M
Proposed Capacity: 580
This is the same situation as Norman/Sims, but a few miles south and much more controversial. Metz Elementary is closing, despite only being built 27 years ago. Sanchez will be fully renovated to support both schools. Sanchez will share Metz's campus for the 2020-2021 school year. Even though these are still elementary age kids, this one might be a little awkward.
Construction on the modernized Sanchez/Metz starts in May 2020 and should be complete by August 2021.
Rendering:
T. A. Brown Elementary School
Budget: $31M
Capacity: 522
T. A. Brown was the second school to open as part of the 2017 Bond Program. The original school was probably what led to the bond in the first place, as the sudden closure of the campus after severe structural damage was discovered in 2016 got loads of publicity.
Construction stretched from November 2018 to January 2020, when the school reopened after its closure in late 2016.