MISD to receive $2.7 million Texas A&M schoolyard forest grant for seven elementary campuses

McAllen Independent School District trustees heard a report Tuesday that Quinta Mazatlan and the Texas A&M Forest Service have awarded a $2,700,000 grant to create nature-based learning spaces at seven MISD elementary campuses.

The presentation, made by Miss Cooley Cook, executive director of Quinta Mazatlan, and Andrew Hefner, president of Hefner Design Team, described plans for tiny forests, trails, outdoor classrooms, natural playscapes and interpretive signage at seven schools. Cook told trustees the grant aims to raise average tree canopy on selected campuses from about 11% toward a target of roughly 30%.

The district received the award on condition of a memorandum of understanding among Quinta Mazatlan, the City of McAllen and MISD to accept and maintain the improvements. "Before we submitted the grant we asked both partners, City of McAllen and MISD, to sign an MOU stating they wanted this gift, they welcomed this gift, and we would maintain and operate this gift," Cook said.

Nut graf: The grant covers design and construction of outdoor learning elements at seven elementary schools, plus a separate $50,000 Children & Nature Network grant to produce conceptual plans and budgets for the district's remaining 11 elementary campuses, giving MISD materials to expand the program to 18 schools if it chooses.

Trustees were shown site-specific schematics from Hefner Design Team that the presenters said were developed with campus principals. Hefner said the grant requires a consistent set of components at each site but that layouts would be customized to campus conditions; examples shown included removing large areas of asphalt (the presentation cited removals of about 6,000–8,000 square feet at several campuses) to make room for green space and trails.

Cook and Hefner told the board the design-development stage is complete and construction is anticipated in 2026 and 2027. They emphasized that long-term maintenance and operating responsibilities must be identified now; items outside school fences that fall in the city school-park zone will be maintained by Parks and Recreation under updated MOUs, while amenities inside the school zone will be maintained by MISD.

Trustee comments focused on protecting the investment, incorporating the work into the district master plan and ensuring maintenance staffing and contract language reflect the new scope of work. "I would like to ensure that the project is going to be so well done with the landscape architects and everyone working behind it. I want to make sure that our district can protect the plan and the investment," one trustee said.

The presentation was given for information; no final construction contract or new budget appropriation was presented for board action at the meeting. Presenters and staff said project costs for asphalt removal and other site work are included in the grant budget but noted some site work responsibilities and long-term maintenance costs will need district planning.

Ending: Trustees expressed broad support and interest in expanding outdoor learning districtwide; staff said the grant and the Children & Nature Network award could be incorporated into the district master plan and that they will return with details on maintenance agreements and construction schedules.