Aldine ISD Looks to the Future to Address the Growing Needs of District

The role of the District and School Board is to ensure there is a well-laid plan for the future for students and the community.

Aldine ISD has experienced tremendous growth over the years. Looking at figures provided to TEA, the district student population has grown by 11,875 since 2006. The district currently has a population of more than 69,800. Aldine ISD is among the top 10 largest school districts in Texas.

According to Superintendent Dr. Wanda Bamberg, the district is already looking at the future. [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]On March 19, 2015, the district held the first of two Community Meetings to ask for public input in the planning process. Nearly 500 Aldine residents attended. They provided valuable insight in developing a five-year master plan.

“We are working with DeJong-Richter and Jacob’s Engineering,” Bamberg said. “Both firms will be part of the strategic planning process. They will help us develop a five-year master facilities plan. The goal is to ensure we are providing students the best education possible to equip them with the necessary skills. We have created a steering committee to help guide the planning process.”

Community members, students, business partners and educators are among those comprising the committee. They met to begin studying data and information to identify needs.

Public input is part of the planning process. At the first Community Meeting, Bamberg and members of the two firms talked to residents. They provided residents with information about various issues AISD is facing.

[ul class=”list list-search”] [li]Physical condition and lifespan of existing school buildings[/li] [li]Location of existing schools and student population[/li][/ul] [ul class=”list list-search”] [li]Capacity needs the district may need to consider for growth and equity[/li][/ul]

Residents at the meeting completed a survey to identify stakeholders’ priorities. Residents completed and submitted more than 1,200 surveys. The district will use feedback from the community survey to develop the master facilities plan. This will include reevaluating how new educational programs and technologies impact school facilities.

Community input and feedback helps target district priorities and needs stated Dr. Viola M. García. She serves as school board president.

“We must be responsive to the needs of our residents,” said García. “And we must offer educational programs, services and facilities to equip our students.“

García encourages the community to take part in the process. She appreciates the many residents that took time to attend the first Community Meeting.

“Listening to the community is the first step in helping us understand the needs of those we serve,” García said. “A strategic plan is critical to ensure progress leads directly to where we need to be in the future.”

The  [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]second community meeting is set for May 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the M.O. Campbell Center (MOC), 1865 Aldine Bender Road (Houston, TX 77032). For further information please contact Abel Garza at 281-985-6202.

See more images and a video of the March 19 community meeting.