Cy-Fair ISD is expected to add more than 10,000 new students in the next five years, prompting administrators to form a long-range planning committee charged with addressing the issues of technology, facilities, transportation and security through 2020.

During the next several weeks, the committee will develop a proposal to present in mid-February to the board of trustees who could decide to call for a May bond election.

"There is not any part of this bond program that would be considered controversial," Superintendent Mark Henry said. "We're not talking about building big stadiums or anything like that. We're talking about security, technology, transportation and instructional facilities—that will be the focus of this bond program."

Planning for growth

Voters in CFISD last approved a bond election in 2007 to cover five years. Because of the economic downturn, construction on several new schools began later than expected, stretching the 2007 bond money out two extra years.

Throughout the past year and a half, much thought and preparation has gone on behind the scenes, as district administrators began researching the four components of the planning committee, Henry said. Additionally, the board received an extensive report from the demographic firm Population and Survey Analysts in 2013 to gain more insight on forecasted housing and population trends in the district.

"The information we have will be the best and most accurate that we've ever had because of their resources," Henry said. "We're hopeful that whatever decisions are made will be done with the best information ever available."

Compared to previous bond committees, the long-range planning committee differs slightly because administrators have already addressed the work of assessing facilities and looking at the needs of the district.

"We also won't be working off individual subcommittees," said Teresa Hull, associate superintendent for governmental relations, communications and chief of staff. "I think what is lost there is the knowledge of the areas of need for the entire committee."

The committee is comprised of 50 parents, staff and community members from across the district who began meeting twice a week Jan. 7 to develop a recommendation to present to the board of trustees. By late January, the committee will begin crunching numbers to determine the scope of the bond and what the tax implications will be, said Debbie Blackshear, committee co-chair.

"We are hoping we'll have a recommendation to propose to the board of trustees in late February so they can call an election," she said. "There are only two times a year when we can call an election for this purpose, and with the summer months it's hard to get people together for meetings. We are hoping to achieve our goals in a short time frame."

New facilities

As CFISD continues to grow, the western area of the district continues to be the area in which new campuses will be constructed since it contains the majority of the district's undeveloped land, according to district officials. The proposed bond package would include provisions for new instructional facilities along with renovations to older campuses.

"There will be some new facilities included in this program," Henry said. "We're growing by at least 2,000 students a year, so we can fill up a new building every year and there's no end in sight."

Along with the new construction, throughout the past two or three decades the district has also consistently updated its older facilities, bringing them up to the standard of the new campuses, Henry said.

Security is also a component of the long-range planning initiative, as the committee will explore what can be done to make sure the campuses and facilities are as secure as possible. Potential improvements include securing vestibules and adding additional cameras to district facilities.

"Although we know, and research will tell you, that a school is the safest place for a child to be, we want to make sure we're doing everything to make sure our students and staff are safe and secure," Henry said.

Technology and transportation

Because of budget cuts mandated by the Texas Legislature several years ago, CFISD cut its number of bus routes down in 2009. The district wants to restore its transportation program to pre-2009 levels when it was moved to a 2-mile limit to provide students with a safer option home.

"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."

In the years since the last bond election, technology needs have also changed, and the new expectation is that students need to be connected 24/7, said Frankie Jackson, CFISD chief technology officer.

CFISD is preparing to implement a Bring Your Own Technology program for students and making certain that the district is aligned with the national and statewide long-range plan for technology.

"The expectation is that our district prepares students to be global learners who will be successful in 21st century society," Jackson said. "That really means that they need the necessary skills to be prepared for career or college readiness."

If trustees decide to call for a bond election this year, the district will host public meetings so community members can find out more about what will be included.

If the board decides to call for an election, the latest it can do so is Feb. 28. The election would be May 10.