Austin ISD has long welcomed our families and our community to use the playgrounds and open green spaces on our campuses when schools are not in session. In November 2022, Austin voters approved $2.44 billion in bond funds for improvements across the district, creating an opportunity for 25 schools to receive full or phased modernizations and four schools to receive open concept renovations. Nine of those schools had a portion of the land that was jointly owned by the city of Austin. Some of these modernizations required schools or infrastructure to be rebuilt on the jointly owned property, which required Austin ISD to have full ownership. The frequently asked questions below will try to answer some of the community’s questions surrounding these nine properties in the context of the 2022 Bond Program.
What is the difference between parks that are joint-use, joint-interest and jointly owned?
Joint-use, joint-interest and jointly owned are terms frequently used interchangeably to refer to situations where Austin ISD and the city of Austin jointly owned a portion of a school campus.
How many campuses with joint-interest areas were affected?
Nine campuses that previously had joint-interest areas were fully acquired by Austin ISD to accommodate the future (or existing) building structures:
- Andrews Elementary School - Modernization
- Barrington Elementary School - Modernization
- Cook Elementary School - Open Concept Renovation
- Houston Elementary School - Modernization
- Oak Springs Elementary School - Modernization
- Odom Elementary School - Open Concept Renovation
- Pecan Springs Elementary School - Modernization
- Williams Elementary School - Open Concept Renovation
- Wooldridge Elementary School - Modernization
How were the joint-interest areas affected by campuses with open concept renovation projects?
The joint-interest boundaries at three of the nine affected campuses (Cook, Odom and Williams) were revised only to exclude any existing school structures. This is a small but logical correction that is desired by both the city of Austin and Austin ISD. These schools are receiving open concept renovations that will not affect the building footprint. The pre-existing joint-interest areas included portions of the school infrastructure that need to be fully owned by Austin ISD. Revising the boundaries of the joint-interest area did not affect access to green space and playgrounds for these three campuses in the long-term. The existing joint-interest agreement was amended to reflect these revised boundaries.
How was the joint-interest agreement affected by campuses with modernization projects?
Six campuses with modernization projects (Andrews, Barrington, Houston, Oak Springs, Pecan Springs and Wooldridge) required Austin ISD to secure full (100%) ownership of the joint-interest areas before it secured city permits to begin construction. To allow the Campus Architectural Team maximum flexibility in designing and constructing the new infrastructure, the full campus for each of these schools was temporarily acquired by Austin ISD. Upon completion of each project, Austin ISD and the city of Austin will amend the previous joint-interest agreement to reflect the revised locations of the reestablished joint-interest areas.
How long will the six campuses be without publicly accessible green space and playgrounds?
Depending on the campus, some might maintain public access to green space and playgrounds throughout construction if the school community is able to remain on-site. Other campuses could potentially be an active construction site for up to two years with no access to green space or playgrounds. These details will be determined as each school project’s design progresses. Learn more about these modernization projects.
Will there be a joint-interest agreement after construction?
After the city of Austin sold its joint-interest area for the six modernization campuses, those funds are being held until construction on the campus is complete. As the campuses are safe and open for public use, Austin ISD will amend the joint-interest agreement with the city of Austin to reflect the revised locations of the reestablished joint-interest area for the portion of the campus containing green space and playgrounds. The held funds will then be used by the city to re-purchase their portion of the land.
Does a property have to have a joint-interest agreement for the grounds to be open to the public during non-school hours?
No. All Austin ISD school grounds are open to the public during non-school hours, unless otherwise posted, or when the facilities are not in use by the District or for a scheduled nonschool purpose. The District may close such outdoor facilities to the public, on a scheduled or unscheduled basis, for maintenance or other purposes, as necessary.
Questions? Reach out through the Bond Questions and Comments form.
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