A bond planning committee—which included 34 parent/community members, 18 district staff members and nine students—presented its proposed bond package after about 10 months of discussions during a July 29 special meeting.
The board did not vote on placing the three potential propositions on the ballot during the meeting. The board is expected to vote Aug. 19 to call for the bond election. Aug. 19 is the deadline to place an item on the Nov. 5 ballot.
The details
The bond totaling $1.08 billion is broken down by potential three propositions that touch on maintenance, technology and sports facilities.
Proposition A, at $986 million, includes:
- $569.1 million for a refresh of 20 campuses that are reaching 25 years old
- $102.3 million for the construction of a new Staley Middle School
- $89.5 million for a furniture and equipment refresh not included in the 25-year refresh
- $103.8 million for general maintenance not included in the 25-year refresh
- $26.7 million to turf seven campuses’ softball and baseball fields
- $32.3 million for landscaping districtwide
- $34.8 million for new school buses, work trucks, fueling stations and truck wash
The construction of the new Staley Middle School could start in 2025 and be completed in 2026, if approved, said Greg Perkins, Scoggins Middle School assistant principal and bond committee member, during the bond presentation. The new building will be located next to the existing campus. During construction, students can stay at the existing Staley campus, which will be used for special education students ages 18-21 once it is vacated by its middle school students.
Board member Stephanie Elad said she would like to potentially break up Proposition A into multiple items on the ballot, which will be discussed further during a second board workshop.
Proposition B, which is recommended for $88.2 million, includes a technology update to replace outdated devices to maintain the district's one-to-one student-to-device ratio from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Proposition C comes in at $11.2 million to construct a tennis center of 16 outdoor courts for tournaments.
The tennis facility can be rented out to the public and can generate revenue for the district, officials said. A location has yet to be determined for the potential center, but district-owned land is being considered.
What it means
If all the bond propositions were to pass, the district's interest and sinking tax rate—which is used for bonds and debt services—would not increase from its existing rate of $0.27, officials said during the meeting.
“The key takeaway here is at the total package that’s been proposed at the rate we’ve been growing and what we see coming in the future, things like Universal [Kids Resort], the redevelopment of Hall Park, that kind of thing. ... That tax rate is conservative and not something we would anticipate raising the debt tax rate over the course of the bond program,” said Kimberly Smith, chief financing and strategy officer.
The background
District voters last saw a Frisco ISD bond on the ballot in November 2018 to build new schools and facilities, which passed for $691 million. The current board of trustees has not been involved in calling a bond election except two members who served on a previous bond committee.
Other previous bonds that were approved by FISD voters include:
- 2014 bond for $775 million
- 2006 bond for $798 million
- 2003 bond for $478 million
- 2000 bond for $298 million
- 1998 bond for $118 million
Looking ahead
The board will have a second workshop to discuss the bond on Aug. 5. From Aug. 6-16, board members will ask district officials questions on a one-on-one basis.
Early voting runs Oct. 21 through Nov. 1.
