MEETING MINUTES. Visitors: Arthur Turner, Gloria Neunaber, Jonathan Elborn, Mathew Markert, Kevin Foster

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "MEETING MINUTES. Visitors: Arthur Turner, Gloria Neunaber, Jonathan Elborn, Mathew Markert, Kevin Foster"

Dorothy Flowers
8 years ago
Views:

1 Facilities and Bond Planning Advisory Committee Thursday, March 10, :15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Pickle Elementary School, Library 1101 Wheatley Ave. Austin, TX IN ATTENDANCE MEETING MINUTES Committee Members: Kristin Ashy, Michael Bocanegra, Leticia Caballero, Cherylann Campbell, Rich DePalma, Roxanne Evans, Dusty Harshman, Jodi Leach, Jennifer Littlefield, Scott Marks, Rick Potter, Hillary Procknow, Joe Siedlecki AISD Trustees: Julie Cowan, Edmund T. Gordon and Yasmin Wagner Staff: Nicole Conley, Paul Turner, Beth Wilson, Chaneel Daniels, Marc Brewster, Melissa Laursen, Frank Fuller, Lydia Venegas, Felipe Romero, Linda Medina, Kevin Schwartz, Lauro Davalos (Principal of Pickle Elementary School) Consultants: Jay Brinson, Beth Penfield, Jim French, Michael Akin, Benny Hawkins, Sita Lakshminarayan, Kate Miller, Adam St. Clair, Zach Abaie Visitors: Arthur Turner, Gloria Neunaber, Jonathan Elborn, Mathew Markert, Kevin Foster 1. Call to order 6:20 p.m. Roxanne Evans (tri-chair) recognized the presence of AISD Trustees Julie Cowan, Edmund T. Gordon and Yasmin Wagner. Trustee Gordon welcomed the committee and expressed his high expectations for the work of the committee. Ms. Evans welcomed a new FABPAC member, Michael Bocanegra. 2. Welcome by School Staff

Jennifer Littlefield, Scott Marks, Rick Potter, Hillary Procknow, Joe Siedlecki AISD Trustees: Julie Cowan, Edmund T.

2 Principal Lauro Davalos provided an overview of Pickle Elementary, with particular focus on facility challenges and the benefits and challenges of a joint use facility. Highlights include: Pickle Elementary School was built in While the school is currently operating at 124% capacity (about 100 students above capacity), enrollment is declining. The school benefits from the City of Austin s joint use of the facility, which provides a public library, a Parks and Recreation Department afterschool program and a health clinic for students and others. Adult education programs, fitness classes and the Maestra en Casa adult literacy program, which helps parents learn how to better support students are available. The school community is happy the building is not as old as others schools, however, it does have some issues such as roof leaks. All students live within 2 miles of the school and walk or are dropped off. There is no bus service. Parents are able to come and eat lunch with their kids. 3. Approval of Minutes (February 11, 2016 Meeting) The minutes of the February 11, 2016 FABPAC meeting were approved with modifications to address errors. 4. Citizens Communication There were no speakers. 5. Presentation: Imagine Northeast Austin Kevin Foster, a consultant to the district and facilitator of Imagine NE Austin, gave an overview of the Imagine Northeast Austin initiative and responded to questions from FABPAC members. Highlights include: Several AISD meetings on Imagine NE Austin have been held. (A FABPAC member noted that there was opportunity to have smaller meaningful conversations.) The Mueller developer is charged with turning land over to AISD or some other school operator. The community would like expanded academic options in Northeast Austin for students living in Northeast Austin. There is long-standing distrust of the school district in the Northeast Austin community. AISD wants increased enrollment. The community wants innovative, creative and thoughtful resource configurations 2

The school benefits from the City of Austin s joint use of the facility, which provides a public library, a Parks and Recreation Department afterschool program and a health clinic for students and

3 There has been discussion about promoting a STEM resource hub to serve the region. There is a belief that existing campuses can help meet students and families needs at multiple sites, and that existing schools could help forge partnerships. Questions from members and responses from Kevin Foster: 1. Were there discussions on under-enrolled schools? Answer: Yes. Some people thought the new school could work. Others thought it would not. Some think it would be nice to have adult education and health services. 2. Has the discussion of multi-use been limited to Mueller site only? Answer: No, it has been a regional conversation. 3. What is the process for determining who gets the 10 acres? Answer: The City requires, as part of its development agreement, that 10 acres be used as a school site. AISD was probably the intended school operator but the developer believes it is charged with giving the land to a school operator, and is not limited to AISD. 4. Nicole Conley, AISD Chief Financial Officer stated that one challenge is AISD does not have the funds to build a new facility without passage of a bond and questioned if the discussion at the time was centered on a typical school design. She also noted that a 10 acre site is smaller than the sites AISD usually builds on. Answer: Foster responded that there are examples, such as in Denver, where urban schools are built on smaller sites. 5. A FABPAC members stated that the site can be expanded to 20 acres if there are expanded/ joint uses. Many of the urban middle schools have small sites of about 10 acres. Can AISD partner with a charter that has the money to build? 6. People want to wait for AISD. 6. Presentation: Facilities Planning Processes with the Project Planning Partner (SEE Brailsford & Dunlavey PowerPoint presentation in meeting materials for detailed information) 3

Questions from members and responses from Kevin Foster: 1. Were there discussions on under-enrolled schools? Answer: Yes. Some people thought the new school could work. Others thought it would not.

4 Jay Brinson and others from the Brailsford &Dunlavey team outlined the facility planning effort. Highlights of the plan to work with the FABPAC include: Develop a framework and decision-making tool kit. Apply the criteria to develop solutions. Synthesize data and prioritize needs. Use a collaborative based process, not consensus based decision making. Use high touch and high tech engagement as a way of engaging, such as Twitter town halls, in addition to traditional community meetings. Empower ambassadors to advocate for the facility plan. Initial recommendations, made in early August, will need to vetted by the FABPAC and ultimately by the Board of Trustees. The project will conclude with in May 2017 with a proposed updated Facility Master Plan. Initial steps, coming over the next six weeks, include a community survey and regional meetings. The process will incorporate the district s theme of re-inventing the urban school experience. Nicole Conley indicated the district will engage in academic visioning and that the facilities and bond planning effort is a modernization effort thinking about the future. 7. Discussion of March 2016 Board of Trustees Presentation The tri-chairs asked for input prior to their March 21, 2016 presentation to the Board of Trustees. The presentation was framed around a series of questions: 1. How do you see our role in serving you and the greater Austin community atlarge? What one or two things do you need from FABPAC members to get the most value from our volunteer time on this group? 2. Do you believe the District should be working toward a May 2017 Bond Election? Do you believe the Board can be unified around a set of specific bond proposals by January 2017? 3. What, if any, concerns do you have about facilities planning? Are there any options that are off the table? 4. What guidance can you give FABPAC in balancing academic programming and performance with enrollment and facility issues? 4

Use a collaborative based process, not consensus based decision making.

5 5. Given the upcoming work of FABPAC, to what extent do you want staff to continue to work with individual CACs through the current FMP process? Members discussed the presentation and requested that the Board of Trustees not be asked about limits, with the belief being the process should start broadly and narrow over time, as data and community engagement inform he process Members were encourage to attend the Board presentation, or watch it on AISD TV or online. The project planner would also be presenting to the board. 8. Discussion of Committee Operations, including Possible Subcommittees, Future Meetings Dates, Locations, and Agenda Items The committee decided to hold the next meeting at Doss Elementary School on April 14. The Tri-chairs indicated they would also be talking to committee members, staff, and the project planner to determine if there were some subcommittees that could be formed that would accelerate the committee s work. Members expressed a desire for a more extensive conversation about committee work and public engagement at the next meeting. Tri-chairs reminded members that if they had ideas for discussion topics to please feel free to forward them to any of the tri-chairs. The tri-chairs also informed members that as AISD brings the project planner on-board, members may receive invitations to participate in public outreach events. The following ideas for future agenda items were shared: How does academics play into the planning process; what is the phasing of the project and grouping of schools; and what are the consultants thoughts on subcommittees? Ms. Conley encouraged FABPAC members to think about their strengths and where they want to serve. 9. Adjourn 8:45 p.m. 5

community engagement inform he process Members were encourage to attend the Board presentation, or watch it on AISD TV or online. The project planner would also be presenting to the board. 8.

Nationaal Congres Ouderbetrokkenheid 11, 12 en 13 September 2013. Betsy Landers National PTA Immediate Past President

Nationaal Congres Ouderbetrokkenheid 11, 12 en 13 September 2013 Betsy Landers National PTA Immediate Past President National PTA Standards for Family-School Partnerships What We Can Do Together to Support