After several meetings over the course of three months, Alvarado ISD’s Facilities Steering Committee brought a recommendation to Monday’s Board of Trustees meeting that outlined a $125 million bond proposal to address growth and aging needs at elementary and athletic facilities.
Committee member Clifton McDaniel presented the recommendation that includes a new elementary school, converting Alvarado Intermediate School into Alvarado Elementary South and an expansion to Lillian Elementary School.
In an updated demographics study provided this fall, Alvarado ISD will have over 2,100 elementary scholars by the 2026-2027 school year, which is more than the combined capacity of the four current elementary schools. The new proposed school, expansion at Lillian and conversion of the intermediate school would allow AISD to add up to 650 seats to address growth and accommodate new students. Monday’s proposal also moves the district to a PreK-5th grade alignment.
“This is a very exciting time to be a part of the Alvarado community and the rapid growth we’re seeing is not going to slow down any time soon,” McDaniel said. “The recommendation would put our school district in a position to be able to handle our current and future growth for several years.”
The recommendation also includes a new gym at Alvarado High School and renovations to the softball and baseball fields. With only one competition gym currently at the high school, practices begin more than two hours before school and the school is unable to accommodate both boys and girls teams playing at home on the same night. The baseball and softball facilities continue to have flooding issues that limit the number of games and practices the teams are able to have each spring.
“The committee was very cognizant of the perception of doing anything with athletic facilities,” McDaniel said. “The committee had a very open and honest discussion about athletics and at the end of the day, the gym and field renovations are two projects that we felt are vital for our scholars.”
While the Facilities Steering Committee makes a recommendation, it is up to the Board of Trustees to decide whether a bond election is in the best interest of the school district and community. The deadline to call an election is February 18 and the earliest an election would take place is May 7, 2022.
“We appreciate the hard work of the Facilities Steering Committee members,” Alvarado ISD Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Estes said. “They spent a considerable amount of time studying the needs of our district and factors that would impact a facility recommendation. In the end, the committee developed a comprehensive and mixed approached to address current and future challenges. We are thankful for their service and look forward to discussing and considering their recommendation.”