Program

Arlington ISD voters approved a $966 million bond proposal on November 5, 2019 — the district’s largest bond program to date. Designed to improve facilities, provide access and equity for all students, and build on progress made through the 2014 Bond program, Bond 2019 addresses needs across four key areas: facilities; transportation; safety, security & technology; and fine arts.

Key priorities funded by the program include:

• Rebuilding four aging schools
• Additions, renovations, and furnishings for full-day Pre-K classrooms
• New junior high and high school fine arts/dual language academies
• Facility condition and life-cycle renovations at all campuses
• New playgrounds and shade structures for all elementary schools
• An addition to the Dan Dipert Career + Technical Center to support program expansion
• A third districtwide competition athletic field at Martin High School, plus improvements to Wilemon and Cravens fields
• Athletics and fine arts facility upgrades at all secondary schools
• Classroom additions at select campuses to right-size for enrollment growth
• New fine arts instruments, uniforms, and equipment
• New school buses and service vehicles
• Additional security cameras and upgraded safety/security/communications systems districtwide
• Technology upgrades to network infrastructure and student/staff devices

Development process: The program was shaped by a comprehensive facilities assessment and a study led by a 37-member Capital Needs Steering Committee — made up of parents, teachers, principals, community members, business representatives, and college/university representatives — which evaluated instructional priorities, enrollment trends, building conditions, transportation, security, and technology needs through 2025. The Board of Trustees called the bond election on August 13, 2019, and voters approved it that November.

Post-pandemic realignment: Due to COVID-19 impacts and unprecedented construction-related inflation early in the program’s execution, AISD administration recommended a plan to realign remaining bond projects around critical program and infrastructure needs. The Board approved this realignment plan on June 28, 2022.

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Four Areas

Bond 2019 projects fall into four categories:

• Facilities — The largest area of the bond. Funds new construction, facility condition needs, and life-cycle improvements for all schools, plus new playgrounds at all elementary schools and facility upgrades for fine arts and athletics.
• Safety, Security & Technology — Additional security cameras and upgraded alarm systems; districtwide communications system upgrade; network infrastructure; device replacements; strategic 1:1 student device program.
• Fine Arts — Theater equipment and black boxes; instruments; visual arts equipment and work surfaces; piano replacements; uniforms for marching bands, drill teams, and choirs. (Fine arts facility upgrades are funded under the Facilities area; new high school band trailers are funded under Transportation.)
• Transportation — Buses (replace 55, add 32); shuttle buses (add 22); service vehicles (replace 62, add 41); new vehicles and trailers for the Dan Dipert Career + Technical Center, the Agricultural Science Center, high school bands, and security. Additional buses allow AISD to expand routes for instructional programming and safety.

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Five Phases

The 2019 Bond projects are being implemented in five phases:

• Phase 1: Gunn Junior High & Fine Arts/Dual Language Academy; Crow Elementary addition & renovations; Webb, Thornton, and Berry Elementary replacements; Food Service Center; Enterprise Centre administration building; land acquisition; Pre-K furnishings; playgrounds
• Phase 2: Arlington High School Fine Arts & Dual Language Academy; Sam Houston HS & Wilemon Field; Bailey Junior High addition & renovations; Adams, Hale, Duff, South Davis, Atherton, Foster, and Johns Elementary renovations; playgrounds
• Phase 3: Carter Junior High replacement (new build) → becomes Joey Rodriguez Junior High; Carter Junior High demolition; Knox and Roark Elementary demolitions; Amos, Goodman, Key, Short, Pope, Speer, Little, and Miller Elementary renovations; Lamar High School & Cravens Field; playgrounds
• Phase 4: Bowie High School; Dan Dipert Career + Technical Center addition & renovations; Farrell, Fitzgerald, Blanton, Butler, Sherrod, Ditto, Dunn, Hill, Swift, McNutt, and Burgin Elementary renovations; Turning Point Secondary School; Young and Workman Junior High renovations
• Phase 5: Seguin High School; Boles, Barnett, Nichols, and Ousley Junior High renovations; a large group of elementary school renovations (Ashworth, Pearcy, Bryant, West, Moore, Wood, Anderson, Remynse, Crouch, Patrick, Peach, Ellis, Larson, Bebensee, Beckham, Starrett, Williams); Corey Fine Arts & Dual Language Academy; Venture/Newcomer campus; support facilities (Mac Bernd PDC, 600 New York Annex, Transportation & Security, warehouses, Agricultural Science Center)