Pflugerville - Hutto Edition | January 2023

EDUCATION

OTHER STORIES TO FOLLOW IN 2023

PIECES OF THE PROPOSAL A Hutto ISD recommendation for a $482 million bond package breaks down as follows: Hutto High School renovations and additions .......... $68M Construction of a ninth elementary school ...................... $70M Building the Ninth Grade Center out to a high school ...... $180M

Pugerville ISD moves forward with 2022 bond items Preliminary work is set to begin on some of the $366 million in bond propositions Pugerville ISD voters approved in November. Victor Valdez, chief technology and operations ocer for PfISD, said work will begin in early 2023 on ber optic cable replacements; new heating, and air conditioning systems; and districtwide computer replacements. Those projects are expected to deliver by the end of 2023. Hutto ISD to begin major projects Two large projects expanding Hutto ISD’s student capacity are planned to begin this year. The rst project will expand Hutto High School. Preliminary work began in late 2022 with completion expected by summer 2024. A second project involves the construction of a 1,200-student- capacity middle school near Kerley Elementary School. Named Gus Almquist Middle School, the school has a targeted completion date of May 2024.

COMPILED BY CARSON GANONG HUTTO ISD District ocials could call a 2023 election for a bond package totaling $482 million. Representatives from the dis- trict’s long-range facilities planning committee—which consisted of approximately 60 parents, students, community members and district sta who met six times beginning in August—presented their recommen- dation to the HISD board of trustees at a Dec. 8 meeting. Over the course of six meetings, the committee received presentations on school nance and HISD growth projections and toured district facilities before working together to formulate a recommendation. Ashley Rendon, a Hutto ISD parent who served on the com- mittee, said one major priority the committee identied was building and expanding schools to ensure the

district’s capacity keeps pace with student growth. “We just don’t have enough room for the students we have right now in the district,” Rendon said. “To get back on track, we’ll need new schools.” Among expenditures proposed in the bond is $180 million to convert the Ninth Grade Center to a full high school and $70 million to construct a new elementary school. The board has until Feb. 17 to decide whether to accept the com- mittee’s recommendation. If it does, the bond package will appear on the ballot in the May 6 election. “I want to extend my sincere gratitude to all of our committee members for volunteering their time, insights and dedication to this monthslong eort,” Superintendent Celina Estrada Thomas said. “We are fortunate to have an engaged com- munity of parents and stakeholders.”

Construction of an eighth elementary school ....................

$63M

Land acquisition ......................... $32M

Adding classrooms to existing middle schools .............. $14M Buses and other operations .................................. $10M Deferred maintenance projects ...................................... $24M Technology ................................. $21M

SOURCE: HUTTO ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

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PFLUGERVILLE HUTTO EDITION • JANUARY 2023