The district’s board of trustees approved a resolution to create the committee in a 6-0 vote during a March 31 meeting, with trustee Chad Green absent from the vote. The committee will advise district officials on what capital improvement projects should be prioritized for inclusion in a possible future bond election, district documents state.
The gist
The committee will consist of the same participants that served on the district’s Long Range Facility Planning Committee, which was formed in August 2024 and consisted of parents of current students, retirees, taxpayers without children, district staff and students.
“We’ve asked the Long Range Facility Planning Committee to continue on because they’re the most educated parents in the district right now,” Superintendent Shawn Pratt said. “They’ve been through six meetings with Dr. Womack, educating them ... on our facilities and their lifespan and where they’re at.”
The bond committee will serve in an advisory role, and assess district needs including facilities as well as other programs like athletics, fine arts, and Career and Technical Education, Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations Dennis Womack said.
According to a presentation at the meeting, responsibilities of members of the bond committee will include:
- Do what is best for students and staff
- Represent the priorities, expectations, and values of the entire community
- Use facts and data to make informed decisions
- Understand the district’s finances to develop short and long term goals that are fiscally sound
- Recommend a bond package that utilizes the comprehensive long range facility plan to guide decision making.
The district has nearly exhausted the bond funds approved in May 2021, Womack said. The bond funds, with one proposition totaling $245 million, were approved by over 12,100 voters, representing 63.28% of votes cast. The fund authorization covered the cost of various campus refresh and facility projects. An additional $30 million bond proposition was also authorized by voters, with a similar approval rate of 62.66% of votes cast, to fund technology purchases, according to records from Collin County Elections Administration.
Looking ahead
Once capital improvement project priorities are identified by the 2025 bond committee, a bond election could potentially be called for the November 2025 general election, Womack said.
