Charged with addressing the district's technology, security, facilities and transportation needs through 2020, Cy-Fair ISD's long-range planning committee is underway with plans to present a bond proposal to the board of trustees by mid-February.

If the board of trustees decides to call for a May election after hearing the proposal, its members must do so by Feb. 28.

"If we can do that and get it approved by the voters, by the next school year we can start seeing the results of the monies being used," said Debbie Blackshear, committee co-chair.

The committee has met twice a week since Jan. 7, discussing in detail the issues of transportation and new facilities, with the district's security and technology needs on tap for the coming week.

"The people on this committee are absolutely incredible," Blackshear said. "They're really dedicated to this process, have a lot of good questions and are putting a lot of thought into the material presented to us by the district."

One of the district's highest transportation priorities involves restoring bus service to pre-2009 levels. Budget cuts in 2009 caused the district to enforce a 2-mile limit, meaning students who live within 2 miles of their school do not qualify for bus service.

"Part of it is our concern for the safety of the students," Blackshear said. "We're such a large area, and with traffic and crime being what it is, there's a big concern for the safety of our students."

The committee will also propose the need for two new transportation centers—one in the northwestern area of the district and one in the southwestern area of the district. Construction could begin on one of the proposed centers—built to accommodate 200 route buses and staff—as early as 2015.

"We feel like the second transportation center will be needed in another four years, or at least in the scope of our 2020 work," Blackshear said. "All of the existing bus barns are beyond capacity, and the two proposed facilities are in the areas where the growth is."

By late January, Blackshear said the committee will begin crunching numbers to determine the scope of the bond and what the tax implications will be for taxpayers in the district. The last CFISD bond election took place in 2007.

For more detailed information on the long-range planning committee, see Community Impact Newspaper's Jan. 23 edition.