The largest portion of the $1.08 billion Nov. 5 bond package goes to refreshing 20 FISD campuses that are reaching 25 years of age.
“Frisco ISD is no longer a fast growth district,” said Jamie Heit, an FISD parent and member of the bond exploration committee, during a board workshop. “We no longer need to build additional schools to accommodate growth, but rather we need to focus on upcoming aging facilities.”
No new campuses will be built through the bond, though Staley Middle School would be rebuilt. The campus was built in the 1970s and formerly housed Frisco High School.
Other bond propositions include updating technology and creating an outdoor tennis complex.
The big picture
Proposition B is the largest part of the bond program at $986 million.
On top of renovations, it includes furniture and equipment upgrades for campuses not included in the 25-year refresh and general maintenance. It also includes turfing softball and baseball fields, landscaping and transportation needs.
The district’s tax rate for debt payments will remain unchanged with the bond. A proposition to increase the district’s day-to-day operations tax rate will be on the Nov. 5 ballot.
There’s a perception that everything in FISD is new, but the district has 42 buildings built between 2000 and 2010, Heit said. Of the district’s 13 high schools, 46% were built while 61% of its 18 middle schools and 55% of 45 elementary schools were built in that timeframe.
Proposition B includes $102.3 million for a new Staley Middle School.
The former Staley campus would house Aspire, a special education program for ages 18-21. The program would move there after the campus undergoes renovations from the district’s 2018 bond package, said Greg Perkins, assistant principal at Cobb Middle School and bond member committee.
“A new Staley Middle School would give those students and staff the best opportunity for equity with new campuses,” Perkins said.
Proposition B also includes $34.8 million for new school buses, work trucks, fueling stations and a truck wash. It will replace 175 buses, 22 white fleet vehicles and four box trucks.
The district has had an average of 12,800 bus riders the past three school years, according to data provided by FISD. School buses need to be replaced every 15 years or 100,000 miles, according to the board workshop. Collectively, FISD buses travel an average of 13,820 miles each day.
The district needs a new bus wash as the current wash no longer works and bus drivers are using power washes to clean their vehicles, Heit said.
New fuel pumps are needed to replace outdated ones as replacement parts are unavailable.
Another detail
Frisco ISD operates with a 1:1 student to technology ratio, meaning all students have their own device to use for learning.
Middle and high school students are able to take home their devices, while elementary students use them on campus, according to FISD’s website.
Technology included in the bond would support FISD’s 1:1 initiative, network updates and provide additional wireless access points, Warstler said.
The $88.2 million technology refresh, included in Proposition C, is not just for Chromebooks, Heit said. It will also add additional wireless access points to provide greater accessibility on campuses and allow for large group electronic testing, which is now required by the state for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR exams.
Technology refreshes are completed on a five-year schedule, and would start in 2025 if the bond proposition is approved.
The district's technology inventory includes:
- 61,000 Chromebooks
- 17,000 computers and laptops
- 16,500 iPads
- 3,000 printers
Proposition D at $11.2 million includes a 16-court outdoor tennis center. Along with the courts, the bond proposition includes spectator seating, concessions and restrooms.
The center would be large enough to host district and regional meets. It also increases the number of courts available for the community to rent when FISD is not using them, according to the board workshop presentation.
The courts would be a possible revenue generator for the district. It costs $11 to book a tennis court for 90 minutes at any court owned by Frisco ISD, according to Frisco Community Tennis.
District tennis courts brought in $356,651 in revenue the past two school years, according to district data.
FISD voters can also expect a tax rate election on the November ballot.
Voters will consider raising the maintenance and operation tax rate by $0.0294 per $100 valuation in a tax rate election, or VATRE, in Proposition A. M&O funds payroll and general maintenance.
A VATRE is used when a district needs to increase its tax rate above a certain threshold. FISD’s last tax rate election was in 2018, which was approved.
The district’s total tax rate would be $1.0569 per $100 valuation. This is broken down between $0.7869 for M&O and $0.27 for debt payments.
The average FISD homeowner can expect their tax bill to increase by $759. If the increase passes, $158 would be due to the tax rate while $601 will be a result of increasing home appraisals.
