WHAT WE REPORTED: FBISD staff will put together a proposed 2018 bond program to accommodate the school district’s growth, Superintendent Charles Dupre announced in November. Using studies and assessments of the district’s facilities, building usage and population demographics, staffers will identify, prioritize and plan the necessary projects, district officials said. THE LATEST: The district’s finance team conducted a tax rate analysis and forecast for future bond planning, and Chief Financial Officer Steve Bassett indicated he believes the district can manage a future bond program without any change to the current debt service tax rate of $0.26 per $100 valuation, FBISD spokesperson Amanda Bubela said. WHAT’S NEXT: A bond oversight committee of community members and industry professionals will form to keep track of the bond’s updates and progress before it goes before voters in November, Bubela said. The committee will meet five times from February to June, and a final proposal for the bond program will be presented to the board of trustees in July, according to a preliminary schedule. This story is one update from The January Issue. View the full list of Top 7 stories to follow in 2018 here.