Arlington ISD passed a nearly $1 billion bond in 2019. How’s it progressing?

As Principal Elena Lopez watched her orchestra, band and choir students perform in front of two yellow bulldozers during the groundbreaking of Carter Junior High School’s new building, one word came to mind. 

“Wow,” she said.

The $62.7 million project is the last school replacement called for in the district’s nearly $1 billion bond from 2019. The program is nearing completion, but faced significant delays after the COVID-19 pandemic derailed Arlington ISD’s initial timeline. Officials are hopeful to have more than 90 projects completed by the end of 2025.

Supply chain issues, like plant closures and material delays, kept projects on the table for longer than initially planned, said Kelly Horn, the district’s assistant superintendent of facility services.

“We did slow things down just a bit,” Horn said. “We’ve just seen so much inflation. … We had to take some time to realign our projects to our budgets.” 

For Lopez and Carter Junior High, it’s finally coming together. The new school is expected to be completed in 2025.

“I just love that our students are now able to really see their words in action,” Lopez said.

‘Facilities needed updating’

Voters approved the school district’s $966 million bond proposal on Nov. 5, 2019. An overwhelming majority of registered voters who cast a ballot in that election voted yes to the bond.

Since then, Arlington ISD hasn’t held back on telling its district residents why the bond is necessary, and why Carter Junior High and three other schools in the district have needed a complete rebuild.

“Frankly, the building is old, worn out and too costly to maintain,” the district said in a release. 

Horn emphasized the district is long overdue for a refresh. Thornton Elementary, Berry Elementary and Webb Elementary were the three other schools slated for a rebuild. Construction is completed on all three. 

Carter Junior will bear the highest price tag of the four new schools, Horn said, and will take longer to complete than the others. The exact cost of construction has yet to be determined.

“The facilities needed updating, especially updated safety and security,” Horn said. 

‘Old, worn out and too costly to maintain’

Carter Junior High was built in 1958. The original Thornton Elementary was completed in 1956, and Berry Elementary opened in 1955.

“Back in 1958, Carter was modern at the time,” Steven Wurtz, the district’s interim superintendent, said. “But there have been many, many advances since then, and the landscape of education has completely changed.”

Like Carter Junior High, all full-day pre-K classrooms are being renovated. Renovations to address facility condition and life cycle needs at all district campuses are underway.

Horn noted how dilapidated many of the district’s playgrounds were before voters passed the 2019 bond. 

“Those playgrounds were old, and playing on those playgrounds in the hot Texas sun, without a canopy, I can’t imagine,” said Horn. 

Now, most of them are fixed and brand new.

The bond’s three other portions

The district isn’t satisfied with only brand new buildings and neither would voters or students, Lopez said. Students need to feel safe to come to school and need to be able to get there.

The bond’s three other priorities — transportation, security and fine arts — address those other needs, Horn said.

Arlington ISD already replaced 55 school buses and added another 32, while adding 22 shuttle buses. New vehicles and trailers for all high school bands have already been bought and given to schools. The cost was $15.5 million.

Newly constructed elementary schools were updated with modern security features. Additional security cameras and upgraded alarm systems are coming to all campuses. Every Arlington ISD student received an iPad or a Chromebook, depending on their grade level. This will cost the district nearly $91 million.

The fine arts portion of the bond gives schools more theater equipment and black boxes, instruments and new uniforms for marching bands, drill teams and choirs. This portion will cost the district nearly $7 million.

All in all, Horn thinks the bond covers “a lot of everything.”

With the delays, it may be a rush to the finish line, Horn said. Going through plan developments with the city of Arlington has taken up much of the district’s time.

“That’s why everything is further back a little bit,” Horn said. “But, this means the city and the community have a lot of input into these projects, which of course we want.”

Lopez, Carter Junior High’s principal, is glad the community is behind the district because Arlington ISD can’t improve without support.

“I’m very thankful to the voters for being responsive and actually taking action,” Lopez said. “And, I’m so eager to see the motivation and the newfound pride that our students will have in their building.”

Matthew Sgroi is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.