Spring ISD Police Chief Victor Mitchell, Chief of Staff Julie Hill and Superintendent Rodney Watson shared information about the bond referendum with voters at the polls on Nov. 8. The referendum passed by a wide margin.[/caption] Spring ISD voters overwhelmingly approved the district’s $330 million bond referendum Nov. 8 by a margin of 72-28 percent. Now that the district has the public’s approval for its plans—which include construction, technology, safety and security expenses—SISD Chief Operations Officer Mark Miranda said it will waste no time on starting the projects. Here are some of the ways the district will use those funds.

1. Infrastructure improvements will be the first in place because other projects hinge on those as the backbone, Miranda said. A fiber optic cable system, technology infrastructure and a new phone system could be in place by the end of next year, he said.
2. Deferred maintenance projects such as heating, venting and air conditioning repairs as well as plumbing and electrical repairs will be tackled as individual projects throughout the year, Miranda said.
3. The brick and mortar buildings in the bond package—three ninth-grade buildings, and two middle schools—will take longer because the architectural design phase required could take up to 12 months, Miranda said. The district may go out to bid on architectural design for those projects in the first quarter of 2017. The new schools could come online in August 2019, he said.
4. The district will also procure 60 new school buses, which will be manufactured for the district. A larger challenge is the need to hire at least 60 additional school bus drivers, Miranda said. The district’s goal is to introduce the new buses in the 2017-18 school year, but it will require the successful delivery of new school buses and the hiring of new drivers before the school year begins, he said. School bus driver recruitment is ongoing and those interested in applying for the jobs can visit www.springisd.org.