The Akins Campus Architectural Team has completed a plan to spend $17 million on campus improvement projects approved by voters in 2022.
The plan includes high, secure fencing around vulnerable areas of the campus, including the portables. It also encompasses building a secure area at the front of the school where visitors can be screened before entering the rest of the main building. The current main office space will be completely transformed into a new mental health center.
Additionally, funding is allocated to construct a modular building that will house Green Tech Academy CTE programs, including Vet Tech and floral design. The new modular building will feature Vet Tech, floral programs, all-gender restrooms, and administrative offices.
Other improvements will be made across the campus, including replacing aging air conditioning equipment. Initially, the budget was $8-9 million for deferred maintenance and security upgrades, but community pressure for additional enhancements led to a doubled budget to include CTE improvements. Future bond construction projects may focus on STEM lab and computer science upgrades.
There are ongoing daily safety and security concerns about the portables at the school campus.
Senior Louisa Poage, who takes classes in the floral design program in the portable, said that the openness and proximity to the woods raise issues.
Big changes will occur with the new redesign of the main entrance. Parents will have easy access to registration and attendance through the main office, which will be moved closer to the front entrance of the school.
“Most parents won’t have a need to come any further than that,” Herbin said.
An additional set of doors will block entrance to the rest of the school unless visitors and students are checked to ensure they should be allowed to go to other parts of the building.
Poage said the new fencing that will enclose the portables would deter unauthorized entry, although it may cause inconvenience. She also highlights the poor condition of the current portables, including structural issues and a lack of bathrooms for students, expressing hope that a new building will enhance the learning environment and attract more students to the CTE program.
Additionally, Poage said that accessible restrooms near the portables would reduce travel time to and from the cafeteria or main building.
Principal Michael Herbin is concerned that no proper fencing around the portables exists. This has caused major security concerns since students were constantly squeezing through the fencing near the fine arts building. Herbin said that the improvements will “fix” these troubling security issues; anyone who walks into the building must be checked in, preventing any unwelcome behavior or individuals.
Agricultural teacher Brandon Callis said that the Akins CTE program — the largest in Austin ISD — has long awaited these improvements. Covering the anticipated benefits of a new CTE building, which will provide relief to CTE teachers, replace outdated facilities, and provide modern amenities. Running water and better storage, Callis stresses that many of the portables are “falling apart”.He notes that this is a much-needed improvement. Callis emphasizes that security is only as effective as protocol adherence.
The new building will house multiple programs and feature gender-neutral restrooms with distinct visibility, which can, in turn, prevent vandalism. The fence also addresses the vulnerable areas.
This CTE construction project is set to be completed by summer 2026.
With school security breaches in the picture, the evolution of school design has increasingly focused on safety and security; with this change, schools have been reimagined to prioritize the well-being of students and staff.
Herbin says, “I think it’s great. School designs have changed so much in the last 25 years, right? With all the things that happen in schools now, security is really a huge issue.”
