ARLINGTON (WBAP/KLIF)- Arlington voters approved a $966 million dollar bond proposition for the Arlington ISD. “The bond means opportunities for our students to have modern learning spaces but also to address significant conditions, needs for our schools and buildings as well as new learning opportunities,” said Arlington ISD Superintendent Marcelo Cavazos.
The bond will be used to rebuild old schools, make renovations to have full day Pre-k classrooms, new playgrounds, upgrade athletics and fine arts departments, adding security and new buses.
Cavazos said the district will implement this plan over 5 years. “This bond is transformative not only for the opportunities for our students but for the facilities- to make sure our students are college and career ready and to meet their maximum potential,” he said.
The new Bond program was developed through a comprehensive facilities assessment and an extensive study conducted by a 37-member Capital Needs Steering Committee comprised of parents, teachers, principals, community members, business representatives and college and university representatives. The committee evaluated and prioritized the district’s identified capital needs, which included evaluations of instructional priorities, enrollment trends, building conditions, transportation, security, technology and more, through 2025. Through a series of meetings, community dialogues and surveys, the committee reviewed and analyzed the district’s capital assessment and listened to the community’s priorities and questions.
The 2019 Bond will fund the following prioritized needs:
- Rebuild four aging schools
- Additions, renovations and furnishings for full-day pre-K classrooms
- Junior high and high school fine arts/dual language academies
- Renovations to address facility condition and life cycle needs at all campuses
- New playgrounds and shade structures for all elementary schools
- An addition to the Dan Dipert Career + Technical Center to meet program demand and allow for program expansion
- Renovations to create a third districtwide competition athletic field at Martin High School and improvements to Wilemon and Cravens fields
- Upgrades to athletics facilities and fine arts spaces at all secondary schools
- Classroom additions at select campuses to right-size for enrollment and program capacity
- New fine arts instruments, uniforms and equipment
- New school buses and service vehicles for program needs, hazardous routes and replacement of older vehicles
- Additional security cameras and upgrades to security, safety and communications systems at all facilities
- Technology upgrades for network infrastructure and replacement of staff and student devices
A full list of projects included in the 2019 Bond is available at the Bond 2019 website.
