At its Aug. 18 meeting, the Fort Bend ISD board of trustees called a bond election to be included on the ballot in November. The approved $484.2 million bond package makes up the first of two phases that will supplement the costs associated with a district-wide plan aimed at aligning the district's facilities as well as instructional and technology resources.



Bond package



If passed by voters, projects included in the bond will be implemented over the next two to three years, at which time Phase 2 of the bond is slated to go to the board for approval as a separate bond election package.



"Fort Bend ISD will be able to handle the bond's additional debt for Phase 1 without requiring an increase in the tax rate, which could be realized with additional assessed value growth of seven percent in the next four years," said Steve Bassett, chief financial officer of FBISD. "This growth includes the value of new residential construction and development."



Phase 1 covers a series of capital needs realized by more than a year-long study that has been adopted as the district's capital plan—a compilation of the district's long-term facilities, safety and security and technology master plans.



"This process started over a year and a half ago by hiring Jacobs [Engineering], who went into every single classroom in this district and looked at everything very closely," board member Dave Rosenthal said. "I think the [projects] listed in here are needed and warranted, especially considering the growth we have experienced."



With about 71,200 students enrolled for fall 2014, FBISD expects to see a continuous rise in student enrollment in coming years, Superintendent Charles Dupre said. In the next three to four years, enrollment is expected to reach 78,000, and 85,000 students in the next decade.



The projects listed in the bond package are divided into $364.4 million for construction and life-cycle replacements, $26.9 million for security and safety upgrades, $15.9 million for transportation needs, $39.4 million for technology, and $36.5 million for land purchase.



The last FBISD bond was approved by voters in 2007 and totaled $428 million. An estimated $63 million from the 2007 bond will be spent on school busses and two new schools. An additional $30 million from past bonds is unspent and could be allocated to implement the capital plan as well, district officials said.



A master plan



For the past 18 months, district officials have worked to gather data and engage the community to determine the facility and infrastructure needs in the school district, said Grayle James, FBISD school board president.



"From that data and community dialogue, we have developed a capital plan to address our student population growth and guide our capital spending, particularly in the areas of facilities and facility deficiencies, safety and security needs and technology infrastructure upgrades," James said. "Armed with this capital plan, the board feels a bond referendum at this time is the best method to address funding our facility and infrastructure needs."



The capital plan, which was approved earlier this year, has worked as a roadmap for the bond package, Dupre said. The document was developed as a $968 million two-phase plan that will be implemented to guide district planning for the next five to 10 years.



The capital plan includes funding for Elementary Schools 46 and 47, which will be built in the master-planned communities of Aliana and Riverstone, respectively. The two schools are not included in the overall bond package. A potential four additional elementary schools, a new middle school and possible expansions to the district's Career and Technical Education department are also in the capital plan and are outlined as future bond projects, according to district officials.



"It is important to have a capital master plan that incorporates current capital priorities and educational adequacy deficiencies, as well as looking ahead over the next 10 years, to enable the district to plan effectively," Dupre said.



Other elements of the capital plan include classroom additions and expansions, facility repairs, safety upgrades and transportation needs.



Oversight committee



In addition to calling the bond, the board of trustees also approved a policy that establishes a bond oversight committee as well as a policy to ensure bond project accountability, which states that any excess money from the bond must be used on facility-related needs.



The 23-member bond oversight committee was selected by district officials and is made up of community stakeholders from various sectors. The committee met six times to obtain information from administration and to discuss the bond.



The initial meetings gave committee members an update on the district's capital plan, said Deron Harrington, local attorney and CPA who serves on the district's bond oversight committee.



"[The committee] is designed to ensure we have a renewed commitment so when we ask for this [bond], the money goes where it is meant to go," Harrington said.



The committee is scheduled to meet quarterly to review and provide feedback on the district's management and implementation of the bond program.



Opposition



Although some projects are seen as necessity, some community stakeholders have shown wariness toward certain projects outlined in the bond package.



"I strongly support the building of new facilities, but I have some concerns regarding security," said Mike Schofield, Stafford business owner and district volunteer. "There are some items listed we have been able to live without—namely fences, screened windows, and especially, cameras."



Cameras implemented as part of the bond package would be used for evidential purposes as both a disciplinary tool and for crime deterrence, FBISD Police Chief David Rider said.