New SW High School (Austin, Crockett: renters, new construction, private schools)

[Trainwreck20]

Capacity-wise, there is probably room currently in South and south central Austin in the existing HSs - Travis, Bowie, Akins, Crockett (and Austin, which serves SW, as well); however, the student load is unbalanced due to the demographics - the vast majority of HS kids are currently residing in areas other than Crockett, Austin, and Travis and are concentrated around Bowie and Akins. AISD has been trying to re-balance for years, but they already have pushed the Bowie boundary almost right up against the school on the East side and it is still +15-20% of design capacity.

The real question is where will demand be in the future. Eanes has been sort of contemplating a new HS for years, but has apparently turned a corner and the actual student body count has started to decrease, which I believe is a fairly common occurrence in areas that are built-out. Circle C, Western Oaks, and most of 'near' SW Austin that Bowie serves has pretty much been built-out, so the supply of kids from that area should peak, decline a bit, then level out. The areas around Crockett and Travis have leveled out years ago and should not see systemic changes in the near future. I am not sure of the exact area that Akins serves, so I can't speak to the growth potential there. So where will the students of the future be? AISD probably has a decent idea already based on elementary school enrollment, which is about the age they will be serving with a new HS by the time it gets built. And the new students that are not already in the elementary schools? Meridian and Rim Rock, as well as some growth in Oak Hill, maybe? Plus, some growth in the Akins area?

Anyway, it really is not a simple question. From a civic perspective, it can be better to ride out some surges (i.e. as Westlake HS has done) than to build to perfectly fit everyone. And building a HS based solely on current needs would potentially fail miserably the future needs.


All that rambling aside, I would guess that the Oakhill area is high on the list. Further SW from Bowie would be pushing right up against two district boundaries and further east can be addressed by existing schools. Again, not really aware of the needs more towards Akins, so there could be some need that way, as well.

[Mom2NAC]

Originally Posted by JERiv

Anyone know what exactly they mean by that line I put in bold/underline?

Relief, I get. Basically, put it where it will alleviate overcrowding the most. But academics?

Thanks!

This means that they are considering making it a magnet school that people would have to apply to rather than a normal high school that kids are just zoned to based on where they live. I'm trying to find that article I read for the details. I'll post it here if I do.

[Mom2NAC]

There is a lot of growth between Bowie and Akins. Houses and apartments are cropping up all over the place. I also agree that SW would be the best option. Then all the school assignment zones will be moved east.

[Trainwreck20]

There is a lot of growth between Bowie and Akins.

But the density of growth is not as high (I don't think) as the new developments off of S. MoPac and 1826. Bauerly (sp?) Ranch is the biggest, most dense new development in that area (between Bowie and Akins). Not sure about any others in the works currently, but there are only a few, relatively small possibilities. Not sure that affects where a new schools will go, but in any case, whatever is done (if anything) needs to lower the load on Bowie.

[Mom2NAC]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

But the density of growth is not as high (I don't think) as the new developments off of S. MoPac and 1826. Bauerly (sp?) Ranch is the biggest, most dense new development in that area (between Bowie and Akins). Not sure about any others in the works currently, but there are only a few, relatively small possibilities. Not sure that affects where a new schools will go, but in any case, whatever is done (if anything) needs to lower the load on Bowie.

There's also Bridges of Bear Creek, which is farther south on Brodie, almost to FM 1626. It is a huge development, and doesn't seem to be near built out yet. Then there are a bunch of apartments and housing communities cropping up on Brodie, Manchaca, and along FM 1626 toward I-35 and Southpark Meadows. I drive that way to go to Southpark Meadows sometimes, and the amount of construction out there is ridiculous.

[Trainwreck20]

There's also Bridges of Bear Creek, which is farther south on Brodie, almost to FM 1626. It is a huge development, and doesn't seem to be near built out yet.

Ah, I see it. It is essentially due south of Bowie and due West of Akins, and almost exactly 3 miles from each. Maybe they should go to Hays Consolidated .

I did just look at he district boundary map, and it goes waaay further west/southwest than I though. That area is a lot of 'horse' country, but if it every 'densifies', it will be a nightmare....

[Mom2NAC]

And that is exactly what is happening! It is not going to be long before this area needs a couple of new elementaries and a new middle school in addition to the high school. The sprawl is only going to increase, I'm afraid. Where there is available land, new homes are going to be built. And AISD doesn't have the money to keep up with it.

[Raskolnikov]

I think a lot of people who live south of the Meridian neighborhood are possibly driving to Dripping Springs ISD. I wonder if those people (who live off 1826) would end up going back into AISD if they built a new High School close to Meridian, Alta Mira, and the other newer neighborhoods off 1826. (far South/west Circle C, etc.)

Someone earlier mentioned that the kid population might start to level off and decline living in the Western Oaks, Circle C, Westcreek, William Cannon area. I'm not so sure. Since the new Alamo Drafthouse was built, and all of the retail buildout around Arbor Trials (Whole Foods, etc.) this area has become so desirable and livable that I see people wanting to buy there in droves. I think in one pocket of 78749 the housing prices jumped up by 11 percent in the past year. (A lot are attributing this to the Whole Foods/ Alamo Drafthouse/ HEB on Escarpment). I would expect that this area could become like Travis Country in the future. Where a lot of people with kids want to move, and supply becomes limited and houses don't last long. In that case the schools will continue to be overcrowded.

[Trainwreck20]

this area has become so desirable and livable that I see people wanting to buy there in droves.

This is true, but there are not that many people leaving - very few houses on the market, and the people that are 'squatting' there predominately moved there in the early years of the neighborhoods (1998 - 2001 for Villages of Western Oaks, a bit older for Western Oaks, and a wider range for CC) and the promptly had kids (to be very general ) or already had young ones. Those kids are now entering or approaching HS, some now finishing. There just isn't enough house turnover to generate that surge of kids again.

[Austinite101]

The whole point is you have two schools that are severely over-capacity. They honestly could use two new high schools, but that will never happen. There is a whole lot of growth in both the Akins and Bowie boundaries, but the boundaries AISD uses are all screwed up, particularly for Akins. Akins has kids coming all the way from nearly Ben White towards and towards ABIA and kids from around brodie near Shady Hollow and everywhere in between. I don't see why Crockett and Travis, which are under-capacity, can't take most of the Akins boundary's east arm (E. of I-35).