Flower Mound Leader > News
District officials see bond package crucial for keeping up with growth
By Chris Roark, Staff Writer
Votes cast this week will determine how Lewisville ISD will handle the continued growth in the district.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday for city and bond elections. Early voting concluded Tuesday. The bond election could provide a variety of facilities, improvements and programs for a district that has grown by 35,000 students in about 20 years.
“In 1985, we were at 15,000 students,” said Jerry Roy, LISD superintendent. “Now, we’re just under 50,000. That tells me that a lot of people have come here from somewhere else because they want the high quality in schools. They have high expectations, but that’s OK because they’ve had the willingness to support our schools.”
The district’s recent improved bond rating of AA+ will help get a very low interest rate, school officials have said.
There will be two propositions on the ballot. Should they both pass, the owner of a $200,000 home would pay $69.36 more in taxes the first year. The amount would increase over the next five years, capping at $256.32 the final year.
Proposition 1 will feature 16 items, such as a 9,000-seat stadium for Marcus High School, a 38,871-square foot natatorium and several other school projects. The total cost is about $698 million. Marcus has shared Max Goldsmith Stadium with Lewisville High School. The natatorium would be the district’s third as Lewisville, Marcus and Flower Mound High Schools use the LISD Natatorium in Flower Mound.
Other items include three new elementary schools, two middle schools, three ninth-grade centers and a ninth- and 10th-grade center, as well as additions and renovations to several campuses. One career center would also be opened.
“We have to deal with the student growth, which has been significant,” Roy said. “The ninth-grade campuses would serve the district well, and the career center similar to the Dale Jackson Center would allow us to better serve the students on the east side of the district who spend a lot of their time in buses. The package would continue to add facilities for our growth, maintain our existing facilities and give us the technology to let our students be on the leading edge of technology.”
Proposition 2 will only feature a 191,000 square-foot special events center, which will cost $79 million. Board members were at odds over the center in early discussions.
Roy said he feels good about the package passing.
“The lowest passing percentage since I’ve been here has been 87 percent,” Roy said. “This would carry us to 2014, so it would take us into build out, which would be between 60,000 to 65,000.”
Proposition 1
3 9th grade centers $158.7 million
2 middle schools $107.1 million
3 elementary schools $86.7 million
Maintenance and renovations $68.5 million
Technology $63 million
1 9th/10th grade center $56.4 million
1 stadium $27.2 million
Land $26.8 million
5 elementary school additions $20.8 million
1 aquatic center $20.1 million
6 high school additions $19.1 million
1 career center $13.7 million
Re-open Milliken campus with an addition $13 million
2 middle school additions $9.9 million
3 high school renovations $3.8 million
1 middle school renovation $3 million
Total $697.7 million
Proposition 2
Special events center $79 million
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday for city and bond elections. Early voting concluded Tuesday. The bond election could provide a variety of facilities, improvements and programs for a district that has grown by 35,000 students in about 20 years.
“In 1985, we were at 15,000 students,” said Jerry Roy, LISD superintendent. “Now, we’re just under 50,000. That tells me that a lot of people have come here from somewhere else because they want the high quality in schools. They have high expectations, but that’s OK because they’ve had the willingness to support our schools.”
The district’s recent improved bond rating of AA+ will help get a very low interest rate, school officials have said.
There will be two propositions on the ballot. Should they both pass, the owner of a $200,000 home would pay $69.36 more in taxes the first year. The amount would increase over the next five years, capping at $256.32 the final year.
Proposition 1 will feature 16 items, such as a 9,000-seat stadium for Marcus High School, a 38,871-square foot natatorium and several other school projects. The total cost is about $698 million. Marcus has shared Max Goldsmith Stadium with Lewisville High School. The natatorium would be the district’s third as Lewisville, Marcus and Flower Mound High Schools use the LISD Natatorium in Flower Mound.
Other items include three new elementary schools, two middle schools, three ninth-grade centers and a ninth- and 10th-grade center, as well as additions and renovations to several campuses. One career center would also be opened.
“We have to deal with the student growth, which has been significant,” Roy said. “The ninth-grade campuses would serve the district well, and the career center similar to the Dale Jackson Center would allow us to better serve the students on the east side of the district who spend a lot of their time in buses. The package would continue to add facilities for our growth, maintain our existing facilities and give us the technology to let our students be on the leading edge of technology.”
Proposition 2 will only feature a 191,000 square-foot special events center, which will cost $79 million. Board members were at odds over the center in early discussions.
Roy said he feels good about the package passing.
“The lowest passing percentage since I’ve been here has been 87 percent,” Roy said. “This would carry us to 2014, so it would take us into build out, which would be between 60,000 to 65,000.”
Proposition 1
3 9th grade centers $158.7 million
2 middle schools $107.1 million
3 elementary schools $86.7 million
Maintenance and renovations $68.5 million
Technology $63 million
1 9th/10th grade center $56.4 million
1 stadium $27.2 million
Land $26.8 million
5 elementary school additions $20.8 million
1 aquatic center $20.1 million
6 high school additions $19.1 million
1 career center $13.7 million
Re-open Milliken campus with an addition $13 million
2 middle school additions $9.9 million
3 high school renovations $3.8 million
1 middle school renovation $3 million
Total $697.7 million
Proposition 2
Special events center $79 million
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