The Lakeside Years since 1975
In 1970 , the Board of Trustees of the Austin Schools decided to " replace " the old Rio Grande campus with a " more modern , more accessible " high school . The old high school was in a building first constructed in 1915 as John Allan Junior High and modified for high school use in 1925 . The old building was getting old and it was surrounded by expensive real estate . And there was " NO parking !" It would be difficult to modify the existing building for the construction of a quality , modern high school .
The decision was made to " move " the old school . But the Trustees decided to keep the Austin High School " identity ". It would have been easy to decide to just abandon the old central city location as had Houston , Dallas and San Antonio . But the Board decided to seek close-in sites to allow Austin High School to continue to serve as the " crossroads " of the city , geographically and ethnically .
There were several sites considered for the high school but the Board selected one on the west side of the city , on Town Lake . The property itself was part of Andrew Jackson Zilker ' s gift of 330 acres to the city in 1927 , a gift that earned Zilker the honor of " Most Worthy Citizen " that year . Environmentalists strongly questioned the idea of using a portion of that dedicated parkland - albeit separated from the tract by Town Lake - for a public school site . After a court battle that went to the Texas Supreme Court , a 1973 decision cleared the way for the construction of the new building .
Once the lawsuit was settled , the City moved a sewer line from the property at a cost of $ 750,000 , and site preparation for the $ 6.5 million dollar building began in late 1973 . The architectural design won the 1975 National " School Bell Architecture Award " from the American Institute for Architects .
One principal of Austin High never conducted a day of classes . Employed in January 1975 , as the " start-up " Principal , Kermit 1 . Heimann left on August 1S \ 1975 , to become the Superintendent of Schools at Pflugerville . Promoted that year from Porter to Lamar Junior High , Jacquelyn McGee became AlSO ' s first female high school principal when Superintendent Jack Davidson told her to " keep her books packed " and move to Austin High on August I .
From 1975-1986 , McGee served with distinction . Her vision and leadership were crucial to the school ' s recognition as one of Texas ' first " National Exemplary American Secondary School ", by the Secretary of Education . The honor predated other " National Blue Ribbon School Awards " also awarded by the U . S . Secretary of Education . An impressive faculty was assembled during the McGee years , which many observers felt compared to the great " glory years " staff of the school in the 1950s and 1960s . When McGee moved to District administration in 1986 , former Crockett High School Principal Robert Enos became the Principal , serving until 1993 . A redrawing of the school ' s southern boundaries in 1987 included the growing Travis Country area , ushering a new era for the school . A more substantial population east ofInterstate Highway 35 was also included .
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