“As we focus forward, we can accomplish so much…in a generation, we can change things. We can change the trajectory of the lives of our students.”
August 7, 2019 – Arlington ISD and the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce hosted the ninth annual State of the District Address at the Mac Bern Professional Development Center. AISD Superintendent, Dr. Marcelo Cavazos, gave an inspiring address discussing how the district is wanting to “focus forward” with business and community leaders to create more educational opportunities for students.
Dr. Cavazos discussed many of the improvements and changes that the Arlington ISD has made in the past few years. The learning experience of students was the primary topic of discussion. Dr. Cavazos spent time discussing the STEM program at Martin High School, all-day pre-k, and bond deals.
The 2014 Arlington ISD bond saw many outcomes such as, more technology access, new security cameras, improvements to fine arts departments, and multiple schools that have been built. Other results of the bond were the Dan Dipert Career Tech Technical Center and the new Agriculture Science Center. After five years of making these improvements, Dr. Cavazos and the school district are ready for the Arlington ISD 2019 Bond.
“We have spent over a year assessing our facilities and our needs in our programming. We have looked at different areas for improvement, and those are our facilities, safety, security and technology, fine arts and transportation,” Dr. Cavazos said. For the 2019 Bond, the AISD recommends replacing and rebuilding Carter Junior High, Webb Elementary, Thorton Elementary, and Berry Elementary to improve the learning experience for its students.
“It’s an important step in Arlington. With our 2014 Bond, we made a lot of improvements and progress. The next chapter is to improve our aging schools,” said Dr. Cavazos. The Arlington ISD 2019 bond also wants to see the closure and consolidation of Roark and Knox Elementary schools. “Closing and consolidating a school is not an easy task, but the outcome is that these students will be in new, modern learning facilities. To us as a community, that outweighs the fact that we have to consolidate some schools.”
All of these changes are a way for Arlington to succeed. “When we have a shared vision, and a collective focus as a community, things happen for our students. In Arlington, we are changing. When we have a collective force of a shared vision, we change much faster than [a generation]. When you have great partners and students are earning employment right out of high school, and when you have the energy of our staff and our students and our community, it does not take a generation [to make fast change].
“It takes a few short years to do the work and do it well. The work is not easy, but in Arlington we have all made a commitment that this Arlington is going to be the best. We are going to be the best for students, for our community and for families. The work that Arlington does collectively, we are a force. The continued commitment as we look forward will change lives,” Dr. Cavazos said.
Dr. Cavazos was also happy to announce that Arlington ISD received a B rating from the state. AISD is proud of that rating and also sees it as a way to improve. With the help of the community and business in Arlington, the Arlington ISD will keep succeeding and will continue to see improvement.