Bond

Take virtual tour of future Arts & Athletics Complex

Ryan PIERCE — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 14:39:56 +0000

You might feel like you need a hard hat for this tour. Get a close-up, in-depth look at the future ɫ��һ�� Arts and Athletics Complex, home to the Center for Visual and Performing Arts and the Athletics Center. Follow Kelly Horn, ɫ��һ�� executive director of Facility Services, as he walks you through the busy construction site in this 20-minute video. Joined by Fine Arts Director Dr. Christopher Anderson in the CVPA and Athletics Director Eric White in the AC, Horn describes the new facilities and updates the construction progress.

Construction of the Arts and Athletics Complex is the final project of the 2014 Bond. Both facilities are scheduled to open this fall.

�ճ��Center for Visual and Performing Arts will serve the entire district, grades Pre-K-through-12, with world-class performance and demonstration venues. It will include a 1,250-seat concert hall, 425-seat theater, classroom space, art and dance studios, instrument repair center and art gallery.

�ճ��Athletics Center will give the district its first-ever natatorium. The natatorium will include a 50-meter pool with moveable bulkheads, a diving area, warm-up pool and seating for 1,000 spectators. In addition to the natatorium, the Athletics Center will house a 1,200-seat arena for competition wrestling, basketball and volleyball. The space will also be used for a new elementary gymnastics program.

Virtual tour of the AAC shows construction progress

Ryan PIERCE — Fri, 29 May 2020 21:50:59 +0000

Windows are going in, sheetrock is going up and the pool’s frame is in place. Check out the construction progress of the future ɫ��һ�� Arts and Athletics Complex – which includes the Center for Visual and Performing Arts and the Athletics Center – in this virtual tour video.

The Center for Visual and Performing Arts is nearly dried-in. The roof is complete, and the exterior window systems are almost finished. The building has permanent power, and mechanical systems have been started and are circulating air in the theater and concert hall so that installing finishes can begin. The concert hall still has scaffolding up so baffles and lights in the ceilings can be installed. When that is complete, the scaffolding will be removed and work on the high wall finishes and balconies will begin. In the theater, workers are completing the walls and balcony and will then start installing the finishes. In the administration and teaching areas, crews are finishing the above ceiling work and starting to frame the ceilings.

The Athletic Center is also nearly dried-in. The roof is complete and the exterior window systems are being installed. The ceiling and walls of the arena are being painted now. In the natatorium, the area around the pool frames have been filled in, and work is beginning to pour the pool deck. In the lobby and locker rooms, crews are finishing the above ceiling work and framing the ceilings.

Construction of the Arts and Athletics Complex is the final project of the 2014 Bond.

Take virtual tour of the future ɫ��һ�� Arts and Athletics Complex

Ryan PIERCE — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 21:07:54 +0000

Check out this virtual tour of the future ɫ��һ�� Arts and Athletics Complex. Great progress is being made on the construction of the Center for Visual and Performing Arts Center and the Athletics Center.

The buildings are now dried in, meaning the roof is on and they have permanent power. Exterior windows are being installed so the buildings can be sealed and conditioned, which will clear the way to start the interior finishes.

In the Athletic Center’s natatorium, the first pool panels were installed this week. Check back here next Friday for photos.

�ճ��Center for Visual and Performing Arts will serve the entire district, grades Pre-K-12, with world-class performance and demonstration venues. It will include a 1,250-seat concert hall, 425-seat theater, classroom space, art and dance studios, instrument repair center, and art gallery.

ɫ��һ�� energy management program makes every day Earth Day

Ryan PIERCE — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 21:15:11 +0000

Today is the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day, a day designed to raise awareness about the negative impact our actions can have on the environment and to promote transformative change that benefits the planet. In the ɫ��һ��, pursuing the principles behind Earth Day is an everyday pursuit.

"The district's energy management goal is to continuously improve energy efficiency and reduce the resources we use by establishing and implementing effective energy-saving strategies districtwide while providing a safe and comfortable learning environment," said Danny Helm, AISD Energy Manager. "Through our districtwide energy committee, the program brings awareness to all of our students, faculty, staff and administration on the impact their actions have on our environment for future generations."

The district's energy management program, started in 2011, is making a huge impact in the district's energy consumption. Here are just four highlights of the program's success.

1) REDUCED ELECTRICITY USAGE BY 28 PERCENT

The AISD has reduced the amount of electricity it uses per square foot by 28 percent since 2011. That equates to $20 million in cost avoidance.

"We save energy by managing it better," Helm said.

That management includes constant monitoring, districtwide energy audits and an energy committee with a representative from each district building. It also involves competitions among buildings to reduce energy, monthly energy report cards, and other energy saving activities and campaigns.

Check out the to see the district's utility use, see how each campus compares to others, find your school and get tips for how to be green.

2) NET-ZERO AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE CENTER

The new Agricultural Science Center, a project of the 2014 Bond that opened in the fall of 2017, is the only net-zero facility in Arlington and may be the first and only net-zero agricultural school building in the country. The building utilizes a solar array and wind turbine to produce more energy annually than it consumes. On average, it produces more energy than it uses each day and pushes the surplus onto the local power grid. The facility also has four rain-water storage tanks and uses the collected water for irrigation and other purposes.

Learn more about the Ag Center's net-zero capabilities and check out the , where you can see how much energy is being produced each day in real time.

3) 47 ENERGY STAR FACILITIES

The AISD has 47 buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That means that 47 AISD buildings - and counting - are verified to perform in the top 25 percent of buildings nationwide based on weather-normalized source energy performance and many other metrics, including occupancy, hours of operation and more.

�ճ��2014 Bond was a major factor in earning this many ENERGY STAR certifications. The bond improved energy conservation by funding renovations at AISD campuses that significantly improved energy efficiency. Renovations included new exterior LED lighting, better insulation, dual-pane windows, and, most importantly, major mechanical replacements and improvements. Many new high-efficiency HVAC roof-top units and chillers were installed, and pneumatic controls were replaced with direct digital controls, giving the district much greater control over each campus' mechanical systems.

The new 2019 Bond will continue the progress started by the 2014 Bond.

4) WATT WATCHERS

The AISD is part of , a state-sponsored STEM program designed to help boost energy literacy for K-12 students and help schools save money by saving energy. Through the program, students, teachers and families have access to energy-saving tips, activities and lessons.

The district's energy committee members have Watt Watcher patrols in their buildings to monitor and reduce electricity usage. They also make morning announcements and use many of the resources available through the program to encourage students and teachers to "reduce, reuse, and recycle."

Next year, there are plans to expand Watt Watchers with a conservation program that will create "student patrols" to monitor utility use and encourage teachers to use the TEKS-aligned materials available to them. Check out the contest-winning posters created by two fifth graders to promote the conservation program.

Learn more about the AISD's energy management program at aisd.net/energy.

40 years of history preserved at Arlington High School

Ryan PIERCE — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 21:22:10 +0000

If you etched your name into a girls’ locker room bench at Arlington High School in the last 40 years, it’s probably still there.

Thanks to a thoughtful ɫ��һ�� carpenter, recent renovations funded by the 2014 Bond included a little historical preservation. Instead of replacing the old benches in the girls’ locker room at Gym A, they were carefully refinished.

The benches are original to the gym, built in 1981, and made of maple, a very strong, durable wood that wouldn’t be used today because of its cost. New benches are typically oak, aluminum or metal.

Jerry Gray, an ɫ��һ�� lead carpenter, recognized an opportunity to reuse the maple on the benches, beat up over nearly 40 years but still strong and durable, and preserve the history etched into the wood by AHS girls.

“I just thought since no curse words were used, it would be cool at a 20-year class reunion if students might be able to find their little bit of mischief they did in their youth,” Gray said. “And somehow it made sense to the powers that be.”

The benchtops were removed and placed on the tops and sides, but not on the bottom so that the signatures underneath were preserved. The wood was sanded and refinished with sanding sealer, and the mounting posts were repainted prior to reinstalling.

In addition to the bench work, AHS locker room walls were repainted, the terrazzo floors were restored and new locker banks were installed – all part of the renovations at Arlington High School funded by the 2014 Bond.

2014 Bond purchased devices students using during COVID-19 shutdown

Ryan PIERCE — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 21:26:01 +0000

When voters approved the ɫ��һ��’s 2014 Bond more than five years ago, no one could have predicted the vital role it would play during the coronavirus pandemic. As the district moves to online learning while schools are closed for COVID-19, it is imperative that students have a device that connects to the internet. Thanks to the 2014 Bond, that is possible.

The ɫ��һ�� has begun providing iPads or Chromebooks to all students who need one so they can logon to the At Home Learning Hub and access their lessons and resources. On the first two days of device pick up, the ɫ��һ�� prepared to hand out devices to the more than 12,000 students signed up to receive one.

Most of these devices were purchased by the 2014 Bond.

Technology enabled the district to establish several new standards, including one related to student access to devices. That standard called for a 2:1 ratio, meaning two students per device. To meet that standard, the bond provided funds to purchase a mobile cart of devices for every two classrooms. Each cart contains 22-30 devices depending on the grade level. For grades pre-K-2, students use iPads, and for grades 3-12, students use Chromebooks. In addition, all elementary libraries received a cart of either 15 iPad Minis or 15 Chromebooks.

In all, the 2014 Bond purchased 14,737 iPads and 38,937 Chromebooks.

“We couldn’t have predicted that we’d need thousands of devices to send home with students back then,” said Michael Hill, assistant superintendent of administration. “But we have enough devices because of the technology standards we set back in 2014.”

In 2015, Barry Fox was instrumental in implementing new technology standards. At the time he was the ɫ��һ��’s director of instructional technology.

“We want to make sure there are no barriers to our students learning,” he said in an article posted to the AISD Bond website in 2015 about making devices and technology resources accessible for all students.

At the time, his department, technology integration and innovation, was trying to tear down all technology barriers at school. Now, he’s tearing down the barriers at home too.

Fox, now ɫ��һ�� executive director of teaching and learning, is leading the effort to implement the At Home Learning Hub, the online platform the district is using to teach students at home.

His work under the 2014 Bond laid the foundation that is making it all possible.

“In days, the team has overhauled our instructional approach to support at-home learning for students, teachers and parents,” Fox said. “Thanks to our community, we have the devices our students need to continue their learning.”

Staff from each school and the technology department deserve a lot of thanks as well for cleaning each device and preparing them for pickup.

The ɫ��һ�� will continue handing out devices next week until all students who need one have one.

Learn more about the ɫ��һ�� response to COVID-19 on the Coronavirus��貹��.

Watch AISD Arts and Athletics Complex construction progress

Ryan PIERCE — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 13:30:28 +0000

The ɫ��һ��'s future Arts and Athletics Complex, which includes the Center for Visual and Performing Arts and the Athletics Center, are still on track to open early fall 2020. Roofing is almost complete and they’re getting close to getting the buildings dried in.

Check out the construction highlight video below, which includes time-lapse photos, aerial pictures and video inside the two facilities.

The Center for Visual and Performing Arts will serve the entire district, grades prekindergarten-12, with world-class performance and demonstration venues. It will include a 1,250-seat concert hall, 425-seat theater, classroom space, art and dance studios, instrument repair center and art gallery.

Phlebotomy instructor teaches students to draw blood, change lives

Ryan PIERCE — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 23:03:19 +0000

The legacy of African American Dr. Charles Drew is flourishing in the phlebotomy program at the ɫ��һ�� Dan Dipert Career and Technical Center thanks to teacher Mark Ingram.

Drew, known as the “father of blood banks,” was a pioneer in blood and transfusion research and developed methods for collecting, preserving and processing blood plasma. In 1940, he directed the Blood for Britain project, which broke new ground in preserving and sending thousands of liters of blood to England during WWII. He followed that success by serving as medical director of the American Red Cross’ pilot national blood banking program in 1941. However, he left the Red Cross a year later because of a policy to racially segregate blood.

Drew’s legacy of saving lives and helping people, along with his unwavering commitment to what was right, is remarkably similar to how Ingram approaches his class. Ingram does much more than just teach students how to draw blood.

“I can teach them content till I’m blue in the face,” Ingram said. “But I’m after their hearts.”

Those hearts belong to the students in Ingram’s Health Science Theory and Lab, which focuses on phlebotomy and EKG. The students are working toward certifications in both disciplines by the end of the school year.

But Ingram doesn’t think of them merely as students.

“This is not my class, this is my family,” he said. “These are my kids.”

His kids – juniors and seniors from all of AISD’s high schools – see it that way too … now.

“No one believed him at first,” said Nayeli M., a senior from Arlington High School, when Ingram expressed how much he cared about them and predicted that they would soon become family.

“Since the beginning we were taught to think of each other as family,” said Veronica B., a student from Lamar High School. “He taught us we had to count on each other.”

“They think I’m corny at first,” Ingram said.

It may be corny, but it’s real.

“Look at us now,” Nayeli said. A family.

One look at the class reveals that what Ingram started preaching in August has come to fruition. The lab where people get stuck with needles seems to be the happiest room in the building. Students work together, “sticking” each other – and volunteers – as they work to get the 30 sticks required to sit for the phlebotomy certification test. Ingram looks on, offering encouragement while strictly ensuring students follow the correct procedures. And when the students have a free moment, they joke around and enjoy each other’s company.

“It feels like I’m welcome here, like they want me here,” Javier R., a Sam Houston High School junior, said.

And Javier wants to be there. Once, when he missed the bus from Sam Houston to the CTC, he walked to the CTC because he didn’t want to miss the class.

Blaine P., a senior from Arlington High School who plans to work as a phlebotomist while in college, explained that students, led by Ingram, all support each other and will even stop class if someone is going through something difficult and needs some extra support.

“It’s kind of a natural thing to cry in this class,” she said.

The family atmosphere, support and mutual respect that exists inside the classroom has a purpose beyond making the students feel welcome. Ingram teaches his students to treat patients the same way.

“I got really lucky having Mr. Ingram,” said William C., a junior from Arlington High School. “This course isn’t just about phlebotomy, it’s more about life. He’s taught me compassion, empathy and respect.”

Ingram preaches those values, in his words and in the way he treats students, and implores his students to treat their patients – and others – that way.

“You have to have a heart for your patients,” said Allison, a student from Martin High School.

“He tells us we’re there to be a ray of sunshine for our patients,” Blaine added.

Ingram, a nurse for 30 years before starting his teaching career at the CTC in 2017, admits he was not always that ray of sunshine. It was a lesson he didn’t learn until many years into his career.

That lesson transformed his outlook and changed his career path.

Now he is that ray of sunshine for his students, preparing them not just for a career, but for a life that touches others.

Just as Drew’s medical research saved lives for generations to come, Ingram’s work in the classroom is preparing students to change lives by treating their future patients – and everyone around them – with compassion, empathy and respect.

“Whether they become physicians, nurses, technicians or assistants,” Ingram said, “after I’m long gone – they are the legacy which I have left behind to change a world lacking what is sorely needed: grace and love.”

The AISD Dan Dipert Career + Technical Center was funded by the 2014 Bond program.

AISD to host GC/subcontractor matchmaking event

Ryan PIERCE — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 16:04:49 +0000

The ɫ��һ�� invites general contractors and subcontractors to participate in a matchmaking and networking opportunity.
This "speed-meeting" event will give subcontractors an opportunity to sit down with general contracting firms to present their capabilities and discuss partnering opportunities. February 27, 2020
AISD Professional Development Center, Room 301
1111 W. Arbrook Blvd. Arlington, TX 76015

GENERAL CONTRACTORS: Sign up for a free table for up to 3 company representatives. Subcontractors will visit with you in 10-minute intervals to present their firm's capabilities, capacity, and experience.

SUBCONTRACTORS: Admission is free. Come prepared with your Capabilities Statement, one-page leave behind, or other marketing materials. Be ready to spend about 10-minutes introducing your firm to attending GCs. Sessions will be timed, so gear up for this fast-paced event.

Light refreshments will be provided.

For more information contact:
Rosalyn Asher, ACARI Management Group
rosalyn@acarimg.com | 682-305-1287

The ɫ��һ�� is just getting started with a new bond program. Voters approved the $966 million bond proposal on Nov. 5, 2019. The 2019 Bond will fund the following prioritized needs:

Rebuild four aging schools
Additions, renovations and furnishings for full-day Pre-K classrooms
Junior high and high school fine arts/dual language academies
Renovations to address facility condition and life cycle needs at all campuses
New playgrounds and shade structures for all elementary schools
An addition to the Dan Dipert Career + Technical Center to meet program demand and allow for program expansion
Renovations to create a third districtwide competition athletic field at Martin High School and improvements to Wilemon and Cravens fields
Upgrades to athletics facilities and fine arts spaces at all secondary schools
Classroom additions at select campuses to right-size for enrollment and program capacity
New fine arts instruments, uniforms and equipment
New school buses and service vehicles for program needs, hazardous routes and replacement of older vehicles
Additional security cameras and upgrades to security, safety and communications systems at all facilities
Technology upgrades for network infrastructure and replacement of staff and student devices

Learn more about the 2019 Bond.

Citizens Bond Oversight Committee reviews program progress

Ryan PIERCE — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 17:21:07 +0000

January 31, 2020 - The Citizens Bond Oversight Committee met this week at Arlington High School for its quarterly review of the status and progress of the 2014 Bond program. AISD Chief Financial Officer Cindy Powell led AISD administrators in giving updates on the various areas of the bond: fine arts; safety, security and technology; transportation; and facilities.

View the meeting materials for more details.

The meeting started with a tour of some of the bond-funded renovations at Arlington High School. The $10.5 million in renovations at AHS impacted many areas of the school. A few of the highlights included a new glass curtain wall at the front entrance and new windows along the north side of the building, an old weight room converted into a dance studio, major mechanical replacements, roof replacements, parking lot replacements, new ceilings, locker room renovations with new lockers, major auditorium upgrades, and much more.

Learn more about bond projects at AHS and .

As the 2014 Bond program comes to a close, the role of the CBOC is nearing its end as well. But a new CBOC will be instituted by the AISD Board of Trustees soon to oversee the 2019 Bond.