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In our classrooms, we scaffold the learning for our students—what a great metaphor underway at our New HQ! Piece by piece, this team is building the scaffold to support the installation of a beautiful new façade.

Check out the New HQ website and view the photo gallery showing the work in progress and other information on the building. www.austinisd/staff/hq .  
Construction Update
Construction is underway in earnest. As specialized crews (framing, drywall, electrical, etc.) work, each floor is now in a different phase of completion. 

Some floors are already getting drywall installed and it is getting easier to see the space transforming into the design we envisioned. It won’t be long until we start to see paint and carpet!
Elevators at New HQ
If you’ve been to New HQ in the last couple of months, you’ve probably seen the temporary setup for the elevators. A few have asked, “Is there really only one elevator for the whole building?” 

There will be three fully functional elevators, but we have partitioned two of them off for use by the building crews and one is designated only to operate on the first and third floors. 

This limits the dust and debris and keeps those of us working in the building from having to wear hardhats and safety vests. When that phase passes, all three elevators will return to normal operating modes.
Getting Ready to Move
I’ve heard from many staff that folks are really getting ready to move. I know that some groups have purged the items that won’t be moving and are on to tackling digital workflows and even some initial packing. 

Actual move dates are still a little bit in flux as there is much work at the new HQ to be completed and permits from the city have been a bit challenging. 

The best information I have right now is the earliest move will probably be in June as we move the Professional Learning Community from first to second floor at the New HQ. 

Other floors will follow in the weeks after. To help with your digital shift in the meantime, here’s a handy “Paperless Tip Sheet” complete with ideas and resources for you.

Austin ISD Police Department Update
We are happy to report that the Austin ISD Police Department will be based on the third floor of the New HQ.

You can be #AISDProud of Chief Gonzalez and others who are making this a reality. Not only is this excellent customer service to support all of the people who will work here, but this change saves the district more than $2 million in construction costs. 

You can also see in this news report the results of Chief Gonzalez working with the City of Austin to improve the area around New HQ. Two of the focus areas of homeless camps are in the immediate vicinity of New HQ where officials said they will try and find emergency shelters in addition to long-term support.

New Office Supply Management
As we think about working in this new collaborative space, new questions have come up about small items we have always handled separately.

Details will follow, but you can expect for this to be budgeted and stocked centrally rather than by each department.

As we get closer to the move date departments should stop ordering office supplies and use what they have and if necessary ask other departments within your area for spare supplies as needed. In the next newsletter we’ll share details about another “hot topic” – Coffee!

Lastly, if departments are looking for ways to get rid of equipment, supplies and other items no longer needed AISD has partnered with Austin Materials Marketplace an innovative approach to repurposing used items.  Check it out, here.



If you have a question that hasn’t been asked or answered, please send to NewHQ@austinisd.org . Check the website at www.austinisd/staff/hq for the latest information.

Thanks for listening, and we’ll talk to you soon.

Kevin Schwartz,CETL                                                                                 
Technology Officer for Learning and Systems
Austin Independent School District
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YOUR FEEDBACK HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL!

If you have a question that wasn’t asked/answered, please send it to  NewHQ@austinisd.org. In the next View from HQ, we’ll share information on the floor/wall/countertop finishes that will be going into the building, and any other construction updates. 
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