Tomball ISD will call a bond election in May to pay for four new schools, renovations at existing schools, new technology and additional school buses, the district said.
The $160 million bond, which will be voted on by residents on May 11, would help the district as its student population grows by 3,700 students in the next five years, according to district projections.
"We're experiencing growth in the northern part of the district and the southern part of our district," said Staci Stanfield, spokeswoman for TISD. "There's a lot of business and economic development going on within our community, so our district experiences growth. It was time for a committee to look and access whether there was a need [for a bond]."
The district commissioned a 17-member Facility Planning Steering Committee last fall to look at possible improvements to accommodate the growth. The committee presented its findings at a public forum Jan. 28.
The steering committee recommended the bond to the district's Board of Trustees, who unanimously approved the proposal.
The new schools include an elementary and intermediate school in the southern area of the district. In addition, an elementary and a junior high would be built in The Woodlands to help with growth at area elementary schools and Tomball Junior High.
The need for these schools is based on growth projections through the 2018–19 school year.
The steering committee—which is composed of TISD staff, parents, local business leaders and other district patrons—looked at future developments, number of rooftops and number of lots available for development in determining enrollment at each campus through 2018.
Although Creekside Forest Elementary is the only school exceeding capacity this year, projections show Canyon Pointe Elementary and North Point Intermediate school exceeding capacity in 2014, Willow Creek Elementary and Tomball Junior High School in 2015, and Timber Creek campuses in 2016.
"Our Facility Planning Steering Committee did a lot of work, held a lot of meetings to really review everything and analyze the district needs in preparation for making the recommendations," Stanfield said.
The committee arrived at an estimated total of $168,296,726 for all necessary improvements, with roughly $110 million set aside for the four new schools, $30 million for additions and renovations to existing infrastructure and $28 million for improvements to transportation and technology.
The district is proposing renovations at the district stadium track and the installation of field turf at the stadium. Field turf would also be added at Tomball Memorial High School. The plan includes adding new weight rooms at each junior high school as well.
Other improvements include the installation of security vestibules at the main entrance of campuses that do not already have them.
The district plans to add a second agriculture project barn, and bus and staff parking will be added to the District Transportation Facility.
The district would avoid going over a tax rate of five cents per $100 valuation on the bond, steering committee chair Rick Pritchett said. He also said the costs are all estimates at this point and may need to be adjusted after the design process. The board has a history of spending less than estimated in previous bond elections, he said.
Additional reporting by Shawn Arrajj
