City opens input on Monotopolis school

The city of Austin is launching an effort to plan for the future of the Montopolis Negro School. The Parks and Recreation Department will hold its first virtual meeting on Oct. 27 at 4 p.m., followed by an open house at the school on Nov. 6 from 10 a.m.-noon. The property has remained fenced off and unused since the city began the process of acquiring it in 2017. The city ultimately took possession of the land through eminent domain proceedings after negotiations with the property owner fell apart. The school has since gone through a hazardous material abatement, and the parks department aims to launch planning efforts this spring.