Mark Your (School Planning) Calendars

Austin Independent School District Superintendent Meria Carstarphen has laid out her timetable for adopting a new approach to facility planning for the district. Rather than the 10-year strategic vision the community and her administration have been working on for more than two years, Carstarphen wants the AISD board of trustees to approve a new framework for developing annual facilities recommendations, with the first recommendations taking effect for the 2012-2013 school year. In her draft presentation to the board on Sept. 26, Carstarphen said she's looking at some very radical proposals, including two new same-sex academies and two in-district charter schools (see "AISD: Open Embargo, Find Plan," Sept. 30). So far, there has been no solid indication which campuses might be repurposed to make room for these new schools, but the fact that community meetings have been scheduled for North Central and East Austin residents indicates the field has been narrowed. While Carstarphen has organized several public meetings, she plans to have the new process and the first year's recommendations in place by Dec. 12. See the meeting schedule below.

• Saturday, Oct. 15: Community meeting for North Central elementary and middle schools: 10am-noon, Dobie Middle School, 1200 E. Rundberg

• Thursday, Oct. 20: Community meeting for East Austin schools: 6:30-8pm, Eastside Memorial High School at the Johnston campus, 1012 Arthur Stiles

• Monday, Oct. 24: Carstarphen to present preliminary outline of recommendations to AISD trustees: 6pm, Carruth Administration Center, 1111 W. Sixth

• Tuesday, Oct. 25: Public hearing: 6-8pm, Carruth Center

• Monday, Nov. 21: Trustees to vote on Facility Master Plan framework: 6pm, Carruth Center

• Monday, Nov. 28: Public hearing: 6-8pm, location TBD

• Friday, Dec. 9: Carstarphen to make final annual facilities recommendations for 2012-2013 school year available to board and public

• Monday, Dec. 12: Board to vote on 2012 recommendations: 6pm, Carruth Center