On Thursday, Austin Independent School District took a significant step forward in the education realm, breaking ground on a new Wooten Elementary School building, a project set to inject modernity into the long-standing institution. "By way of the 2022 bond program, we have 2.44 billion dollars going across the entire community. But the schools that have been historically underserved are at the front of the line," Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura told CBS Austin at the ceremony graced with student performances of song and dance.
With its doors first opening in 1955, the new facility will not only be a breath of fresh air with upgraded classrooms and open spaces, but it's also a nod to safety with enhanced security, and energy efficiency, which in turn promises to reduce future maintenance and operational costs and Superintendent Segura expressing the dual benefit of modernization in lowering repair and upkeep expenses, is a heartening promise for the district's finances. The modernization also reflects a considerable investment in the city's school system and, above all, in its students—who Segura says spent 13 impactful years within these educational environments as Wooten Elementary Principal Isaac Becerra Brito looked forward to the new features, "TThis old building, things were happening. So I’m very excited for the future that’s about to come," he said in his enthusiasm for the forthcoming modernized school expected to bring light, nature, and multipurpose space into student's lives.
The community's commitment to the project was sealed two years ago when voters overwhelmingly approved the bond package that earmarked funds for the modernization of three Austin schools. Wooten Elementary is the first of these to undergo transformation, with Harris Elementary and Sadler Means Young Women's Leadership Academy soon to follow—the latter two poised for their own groundbreaking ceremonies on May 14 and May 21, respectively, according to a video released by Austin ISD.
Renovations are expected to bring the buildings up to district specifications and the construction for all three schools is set to kick off this summer, with completion timelines stretching into January 2027, marking a significant enhancement of educational facilities for future generations of Austin's children that is, in the words of Segura, an investment not only in bricks and mortar but foremost in the students who will walk these halls.
