It will also signal the beginning of the design phase for a South County Career and Technical Education Center at Oak Ridge High School.
Several projects are already in the design phase, such as the $15.5 million York addition, according to Null. He said construction for several projects will begin in 2020, with the York addition expected to open in August 2021. Null said York serves one of the district’s most populated areas in the southeast portion of the district near the Grand Parkway.
A second CISD bond election, Proposition B, which asked voters to approve $23.8 million for athletic turf, did not win voter support Nov. 5.
Null said the board may in the future look to replace some fields with turf, which would allow more usage and save money compared to the maintenance of grass.
“Grass fields can quickly become unplayable, [whereas with] artificial turf, you can play more games,” he said. However, Null said the replacement of grass to athletic fields is •not a priority.•“We have a lot of work to do based on Proposition A and what the voters have asked for, and those items will be the focus moving forward,” Null said.
Pre-K, attendance boundaries
In addition to launching bond projects, at the CISD Nov. 19 meeting Deputy Superintendent Chris Hines asked the board of trustees for approval to seek partnerships with public and private pre-K locations to fulfill the state’s full-day pre-K requirements. Full-day pre-K is required by House Bill 3, which was signed into law June 11.
To apply for one of the two three-year vouchers available to the district, Hines said the district has to “demonstrate the need to construct classroom facilities” and solicit these partnerships for eligible preschoolers.
“The law did not change the requirements for eligibility for pre-K, so students still need to qualify,” Hines said.
The entities the district will eventually partner with must meet several standards including implementing CISD curriculum, having teachers meet official qualifications, and meeting CISD standards for classrooms and play areas, according to Hines.
The district is also crafting new attendance boundaries ahead of the opening of Stockton Junior High School in August 2020, but Hines said he will now have the CISD Attendance Boundary Committee look at elementary schools in The Woodlands and College Park feeder zones.
“We know we have some schools with a little bit of room, and we know we have schools we need to find solutions for,” Hines said.
Ride Elementary School is currently at 131% capacity with 751 students and 12 portable classrooms. Lamar and Glen Loch elementary schools are also overcapacity at 111% and 104%, respectively, according to Hines.
Hines said the committee, made up of educators, administrators and parents, will create a boundary proposal and present it in December to gather feedback. In January, the committee will then present an updated draft to the community before presenting a final proposal to the community and trustees in February.
This story was updated to correct the name of Wilkerson Intermediate School.
This article ran in the December 2019 edition of The Woodlands. Read the full e-edition here
