Cy-Fair ISD administrators are in the midst of developing a long-range plan to prioritize projects contained in the district's $1.2 billion bond package approved by voters in May.
"When you have $1.2 billion, you can't build everything in one year because it's physically and fiscally irresponsible," Superintendent Mark Henry said. "It needs to be scheduled out."
The 2014 bond package includes provisions for the district's security, transportation, facilities and technology needs through 2020. Campus renovations, increased transportation for students and the construction of new schools are among the projects that will be completed in the next six years.
"As part of the six-year plan, we're looking at what we call 'mission critical' projects to help prioritize," said Roy Sprague, associate superintendent for facilities, construction and support services. "Anything that's electrical or HVAC-related that could affect the operations of a campus—we're working with maintenance staff to prioritize those projects first."
Technology updates are one of the first items that will be implemented from the bond package, specifically upgrades to the backbone of the infrastructure system.
"Out of the $217 million for technology, $90 million of that was to replace the entire technology infrastructure," Chief Financial Officer Stuart Snow said. "We can't implement any of the instructional technology until we get that infrastructure in place, so that's why it's a big priority in this first bond sale."
Security improvements will also be included in the first bond sale. Administrators are considering enhancements such as card-reader access at all campuses, panic devices and other items included in the bond, Sprague said. The addition of a communications tower will be another major security enhancement the district plans to get started on soon.
"It will help facilitate and improve capability of our radio communications at the campuses," Sprague said.
At the Sept. 15 board meeting, administrators asked CFISD trustees for approval to sell $173 million from the 2014 bond election along with $35 million from the 2004 bond and $121 million from the 2007 bond.
Another significant consideration in determining which projects to begin first involves the tax impact on residents in the district, Snow said.
"We have to be able to manage the debt service tax rate in such a way that we are faithful to what we communicated to the community during that bond process," he said. "The plan is that we would go back to the market and sell the bonds each year at about the same time for the next five years."
The district's tax rate was initially projected to increase by 4.5 cents over a five-year period. But district officials think the increase could be smaller.
"We're anticipating being able to sell the bonds throughout this bond program with a smaller tax increase than what we said originally to the committee," Snow said.
The board of trustees is expected to approve the district's tax rate at its October meeting.
