February 10, 2014 - In the spring of 2013, citizens of Amarillo passed the school bond for $99.45 million which is set to fund renovation and expansion projects across the district. Secured entrances for 13 schools have been bid and much of the construction is underway. The two new sixth grade campuses for Bowie and Travis middle schools are nearing the end of the design phase, and classroom addition projects have been bid in preparation for construction beginning this spring.
These three projects – secured entrances, sixth grade campuses, and classroom additions – represent about 50 percent of the bond funds. The other 50 percent of the projects will include HVAC replacement, video security upgrades at a number of campuses, and artificial turf for middle school playing fields. Engineers are already working on the HVAC and turf projects, and District staff will be meeting with principals to determine video equipment upgrades for security purposes.
All projects, except the new elementary school in the Caprock Cluster, are on target for completion by the end of the 2016-2017 school year. Although planned for in the 2013 bond election, the new elementary school in the Caprock Cluster will not be built until the student population justifies it by reaching at least 250 to 300 students.
Managing one of the larger bond projects, a committee devised of principals, department heads and financial leaders has worked alongside the Lavin Architects and Dekker/Perich/Sabatini architectural firms to plan the two sixth grade campuses, respectively, which will serve to lower the populations of Bowie and Travis. The committee has studied trends in educational environments and the program needs at each campus while planning the schools.
“The Travis design is conducive to creating and holding learning in almost every space available,” de Zavala Principal Angie Noel said. “Classrooms are arranged opening into commons areas which are full of versatility. They are equipped with technology, nontraditional seating and introduce modern dividers which sport the ability to change the space, display student work and allow a multitude of learning interactions for students.”
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