Taking the first step toward a possible November 2022 bond proposal for facility upgrades, the Austin school board has approved a $1.9 million contract for a consultant to begin community engagement and planning with a promised focus on equity.
The board voted 8-1 Thursday to award the contract to the firm DLR Group and three sub-consultants: Adisa Communications, Vanir and Combs.
The bond proposal would be the first since voters approved a $1 billion bond package in 2017 to modernize schools under the district's 25-year Facility Master Plan.
It's also the first since the district's 2019
decision to close four
schools, including the Metz and Sims elementary campuses, which were consolidated under renovations at other schools funded by the 2017 bonds. Three of the four shuttered campuses were located in East Austin, historically home to underserved communities. The district’s chief equity officer said at the time that the closure plan perpetuated long-standing policies of racial and economic segregation.