Coverage of facilities condition, bond referendum to address them
Science teacher Sarah Noack instructs her seventh-period class on Tuesday from the front of her classroom, which was one of many whose ongoing leaks returned upon the Monday storm. “I’ve been in room 141 for seven years now, so I know where the room leaks at this point,” she said. “First thing I do when I get here in the morning after a storm is go to my leaky spots and check for water.” In the past, lab supplies, bulletin boards, student work, and posters have been damaged by rainwater, forcing Noack to spend valuable teaching time cleaning up the mess and working around ruined supplies. According to Noack, the situation paints a bigger picture of the problems facing AISD infrastructure management. “To me, it’s a disgrace that we have had these issues for so long with no repair. The district has wasted countless dollars and personnel hours replacing ceiling tiles, but replacing the tiles doesn’t fix the leak.” Caption by Francie Wilhelm.
TIMELINE OF CONTINUING COVERAGE
JULY 12: Kate Boyle, District hosts first of three community conversations about proposed school bond
JULY 14: Staff, District to host second virtual community conversation about proposed school bond
JULY 18: Staff, CALL TO ACTION: Outdated Mac should be included in bond proposals
JULY 26: Staff, District to share bond proposal updates in two virtual meetings tomorrow
AUG. 13: Caroline Owen, Francie Wilhelm: McCallum included on modernization list in final version of bond referendum terms
AUG. 22: Staff, Heavy rains delay school dismissal, leaks reported throughout building
AUG. 23: Staff, PHOTO ESSAY: Flash flood strikes Austin as school dismisses Monday
AUG. 29: Meliah Arias, Tristen Diaz, Naomi Di-Capus, Oliver Harrington, Caroline Owen, Heavy rains last week causes multiple leaks that damage school property, disrupt learning environment
AUG. 29: Ingrid Smith, Francie Wilhelm, Torrential rain leads to costly ruin
AUG. 31: Lanie Sepehri, Dysfunctional air conditioning in library prompts decision to shut down blood drive prematurely
SEPT. 10: Francie Wilhelm, Breaking down the bond
OCT. 17: Francie Wilhelm, Jordyn Berger, Julia Copas, Margaret Smith, Rain leads to flooding (again)
OCT. 24: Emerson Merritt, Lorelai Rigdon, Rains push second-period tech theatre class to cafeteria for third straight day
OCT. 25: Staff, Water Works 2.0
OCT. 30: Ingrid Smith, Alice Scott, Kate Boyle, At-large position 9 school board candidates discuss issues to be addressed if bond referendum passes
NOV. 4: Staff, Constructions crews try to keep rain out of MAC with sandbags, sealant electronic devices
NOV. 7: Kate Boyle, Shield tests mold levels throughout campus using random stratified sample
NOV. 9: Francie Wilhelm, Naomi Di-Capua, 2022 bond referendum passes
