State of the City: Abilene’s future hinges on water supply, public schools Technical Education

Jan 19

State of the City: Abilene’s future hinges on water supply, public schools

Nellie Doneva/Reporter-News Abilene Fire Department Deputy Chief Jim Frazier, center, and other attendees listen to the State of the City address by Mayor Norm Archibald Monday, Jan. 23, 2012, at the Abilene Civic Center.

Nellie Doneva/Reporter-News Mayor Norm Archibald delivers his annual State of the City speech Monday, Jan. 23, 2012, at the Abilene Civic Center.

Nellie Doneva/Reporter-News Abilene Independent School District Superintendent Heath Burns delivers the state of the AISD address at the Abilene Civic Center Monday, Jan. 23, 2012.

Abilene’s future hinges on the city’s ability to ensure residents have water in coming decades and on how well public schools provide opportunities for underserved students, Abilene leaders said during Monday’s annual State of the City address.

At the Abilene Civic Center, Mayor Norm Archibald gave his fifth update, highlighting the city’s accomplishments over the past 12 months and discussing what the city must do to remain a viable place to live in future decades.

Like last year’s address, Archibald focused on the city’s necessity to develop long-term strategies to get water to Abilene residents.

After the hottest, driest summer on record, Abilene’s three water sources — Lake Fort Phantom Hill, O.H. Ivie Reservoir and Hubbard Creek Reservoir — are all low, and water levels will continue to drop unless West Texas receives substantial spring rains.

The city is developing plans to build another water source — termed the Cedar Ridge Reservoir — in the next decade that, officials say, would provide more than three times as much water as Lake Fort Phantom Hill at a cost of at least $192.87 million.

“This reservoir is not for me. It’s for my grandchildren and your grandchildren,” Archibald said.

Abilene is working with other cities, namely Midland and San Angelo, to develop a long-term strategy that will spread the high costs of water resource development and keep cities from going dry, he said.

Abilene ISD Superintendent Heath Burns spoke at the event for the second year.

“The fate of our city and our community is tied to the success of our school district,” Burns said. “We need to be the district by which all West Texas schools are judged.”

As a sign that bars are being set higher, Burns pointed to AISD’s success in improving student completion rates, particularly among Hispanics, and the district’s nine National Merit Scholars and graduates attending universities such as Harvard, Princeton and the Air Force Academy.

“I think the most important thing we can do is reconstruct how we teach our students,” he said, noting the district has a moral imperative to provide for disadvantaged students, who comprise more than 60 percent of all AISD students.

That imperative must be met amid ever-tightening purse strings as the state’s mechanism to finance public schools was not updated even though the Texas Legislature last spring approved about $4 billion in cuts to public education, including more than $4 million per year for AISD.

Burns reminded the audience that there are no imminent bond proposals, saying that he would not push for a bond “to fund projects that are five years out until we have a master facilities plan that addresses, to some extent, future decades. We’re not going to sneak up on you, ever.”

Technical Education