The Austin Independent School District has agreed to sell the historic old Austin High School campus to Austin Commmunity College. The AISD Board voted Monday night to accept the $4.75 million purchase.

Details of the agreement were outlined today at a press conference on the front steps of the historic campus.

AISD Board President Doyle Valdez said, “With this agreement, we hope to provide a new vision for our relationship with ACC and, more important, a new vision for public education in our community.”

The old Austin High Campus was built in 1915 as the John T. Allen Junior High School. The building more than doubled in size when the annex was built in 1925. That’s when Austin High School relocated to the 12th and Rio Grande location.

ACC President Richard Fonté said the purchase is part of ACC’s Master Plan. “We want to have the ability to fully invest in the quality of learning. If we own the building we can combine a quality learning environment with great, historic architecture.”

The sale is contingent upon the May 3 election. Voters will be asked by ACC to vote on a four-cent phased-in tax increase, and a one penny $99 million bond package. The bond package would fund the needed renovations and parking expansion at the Rio Grande campus.

“It’s important to ACC to make sure the historic Rio Grande campus is preserved. But we need to update the classrooms to meet the needs of the various programs. That way students have access to an even stronger community college education in the heart of Austin,” said ACC Board Chairman Rafael Quintanilla.

“The sale of the Rio Grande Campus to ACC represents a win for the students of Austin, a win for AISD, a win for ACC and a win for the Austin community as a whole,” added AISD Superintendent Pat Forgione.

Dr. Neal Kocurek, David Stevens and Hunter Ellinger were credited with helping negotiate a sale that will be beneficial to both AISD and ACC.

AISD and ACC first entered into a lease for the old Austin High Main Building in 1982. That lease was rewritten in 1990, and in 1995, was expanded to include the adjacent Annex building. The current lease continues through August 2020.