The McAllen school board voted 4-1 to approve a memorandum of understanding pledging $2 million in ESSER funding for improvements at the International Museum of Arts and Science.
The money will in part fund the Children’s Museum at IMAS project, an $8 million to $10 million improvement which will redesign current facilities and focus on creating educational exhibits and “enriching educational experiences.”
The museum has been pitching the district on the commitment since late summer.
Floor plans of the proposed improvements presented to the board in October include learning pods with interactive exhibits or educator-led activities interspersed through the facility.
The plans include four of those pods, a greenhouse, a revamped entrance, a proposed amphitheater and a flexible space that could serve the district for teacher development programs or meetings.
In sum, museum and district officials have described the investment as a way to leverage community resources to enhance the education of McAllen students.
“I will say that IMAS has a powerhouse staff that has a philosophy very aligned with ours, and as we move deeper into closing achievement gaps we believe that this relationship will help us do that by leveraging their STEM program, by leveraging the relationships they have with institutions such as NASA and the Smithsonian,” Superintendent J.A. Gonzalez said in October. “You’re talking about a great museum in our community that we have an opportunity to further our relationship, and I say further because we’re already doing a lot of great work with them.”
Illustrating that partnership, Gonzalez noted that in recent weeks more than 1,300 second graders have engaged in hands-on learning activities at the museum.
That partnership has resulted in measurable educational gains for district students, IMAS President Ann Fortescue told the board in August, saying outreach programs at the museum have increased students’ scores on state tests.
“The Children’s Museum at IMAS is the next level of STEM education learning for MISD students. Our vision is to work together as equal partners from the very beginning of this project to ensure the Children’s Museum at IMAS serves MISD students in meeting the district’s educational goals,” she said. “We want to expand our existing collaboration to create hands-on educational learning exhibits that develop the skills MISD students need to succeed in school and the workforce, skills like problem solving, working in teams, effective communications and identifying resources.”
The IMAS deal is the second large-scale community investment the district has made with ESSER funding this semester.
In September, the district’s board gave the final OK on a $4 million commitment to Quinta Mazatlan that will fund facilities billed as a way to foster a one-of-a-kind learning experience for area students.
It’s also part of a trend on the board over the past year to push for quality of living improvements in town, like parks at the old David Crockett Elementary property and the Morris Regional Detention Facility.
The board exhibited some hesitancy over the project in meetings leading up to Monday’s approval, primarily about what concrete advantages the district would be buying with its $2 million.
Trustees said they’d heard public opinion both for and against the project, the criticism being largely based on the cost of the investment.
Fortescue outlined some of those specific accommodations in October, saying MISD field experiences at the museum will be discounted from a $12.50 per student rate to $4 per student during the seven-year life of the MOU, which Fortescue says will save the district around $300,000.
She said the district will receive two free family events per year serving 1,000 children and their families, a savings of over $36,000 during the lifetime of the MOU.
“The district will be recognized throughout the project, both onsite and through communications for their leadership and support,” Fortescue said.
That recognition will include the naming of the MISD Discovery Wing, she said, along with national recognition through the museum’s partners.
Fortescue thanked the board and the administration for the commitment Monday, noting their commitment joins one for $1 million from the city of McAllen.
“So it’s gathering steam,” she said.
