College Station Independent School District

July 18, 2023 Update - Presentation to the Board of Trustees

 Director of Communications Chuck Glenewinkel and Chief Financial Officer Amy Drozd gave a presentation to the board outlining the propositions and ballot language associated with the 2023 Bond Planning Committee’s recommendation.

 A 48-member committee met six times in April and May, and ultimately recommended the board call a bond election for November 7, 2023, to include projects totaling $350.862 million.  In June, the board received a presentation detailing the recommended projects for the 2023 bond package.

 The tax impact for the issuance of $350.862 million in bonds is estimated to be a two-cent increase in the CSISD Interest and Sinking Tax Rate.

 By law, certain projects can not be included in the general proposition and must be on separate propositions.

 The deadline for the board to officially call the election is August 21, 2023, meaning the board will have until that date to discuss the recommendations before taking action. 

• LINK: July 18 Workshop Presentation
• LINK to video of presentation

June 20, 2023 Update - Detailed Presentation to the Board of Trustees

At the June 20, 2023 board workshop, Director of Communications Chuck Glenewinkel and Chief Financial Officer Amy Drozd gave a presentation to the board detailing the projects, financial impact, and proposition options of 2023 Bond Planning Committee’s recommendation. 

The 48-member committee met six times in April and May, and ultimately recommended the board call a bond election for November 7, 2023, to include projects totaling $350.862 million.

The tax impact for the issuance of $350.862 million in bonds is estimated be a two-cent increase in the CSISD Interest and Sinking Tax Rate. 

Since the 2017-18 school year, the CSISD tax rate has dropped from $1.3960 per $100 of valuation to the 2022-23 rate of $1.1780, a decrease of 22 cents (15.7%).

By law, certain projects can not be included in the general proposition and must be on separate propositions.

Recommended projects which can be included on the general proposition include:

•  Districtwide Safety - $5 million
•  Renovations to Rock Prairie Elementary - $13.82 million
•  A&M Consolidated HS Additions and Renovations - $50.751 million
•  Phase II College Station HS Additions and Renovations - $62.256 million
•  Phase II Career and Technical Education Center - $32.150 million
•  College View HS Cosmetology Lab - $1.355 million
•  Middle School Athletic Field Renovations - $13.160 million
•  Central Office Additions and Renovations - $31.111 million
•  Transportation - $11.245 million
•  Technology Infrastructure  - $14.127 million
•  Deferred Maintenance - $45 million
•  Land Acquisition - $5 million

The following projects must be included in a proposition because they are for “stadiums with a seating capacity of more than 1,000 spectators:”

•  Tiger Stadium Fieldhouse Additions and Renovations - $11.352 million
•  Tiger Stadium Renovations - $20.100 million
•  Cougar Stadium Renovations - $7.020 million

The following project must be included in a proposition because it is for “recreational facilities, other than gym, playground or play area:”

•  High School Baseball and Softball Renovations - $13.270 million

The following project must be included in a proposition because it is for “technology other than security equipment of infrastructure for new construction:"

•  Technology Devices  - $14.127 million

The deadline for the board to officially call the election is August 21, 2023, meaning the board will have until that date to discuss the recommendation before taking action.

• LINK: June 20 Workshop Presentation
• LINK to video of presentation

May 16, 2023 Update - Committee Recommendation to the Board of Trustees

At the May 16, 2023, Board of Trustees workshop, student committee members Stella Bales (soph. AMCHS) and Lena Abdelwahed (Jr. CSHS) spoke about their experience of being a member of the committee before members Rick Bennett and Kim Ege presented the recommendation.

At the end of the presentation, it was noted that CSISD administration will provide project details, projected tax implications and proposition options at the June workshop.

The board has until August 21, 2023 to officially call for a November 7 bond election.

• LINK: Long Range Facilities and Bond Planning Committee Recommendation Presentation
• LINK to video of presentation

May 8, 2023 Update - Committee Meeting #6

The sixth and final meeting of the Long Range Facilities and Bond Planning Committee was held Monday, May 8, 2023. The committee completed their recommendation of projects, which will be presented to the board at its workshop session on Tuesday, May 16.

May 2, 2023 Update - Committee Meeting #5

The fifth meeting of the Long Range Facilities and Bond Planning Committee was held Tuesday, May 2, 2023. The committee received a presentation regarding the financial implications of selling bonds from the district's financial advisor and performed a mock vote at their respective tables to practice the actual voting process that will take place at the final meeting on May 8.

• LINK: Agenda
• LINK: Presentation

April 25, 2023 Update - Committee Meeting #4

The fourth meeting of the Long Range Facilities and Bond Planning Committee was held Tuesday, April 25, 2023. The committee received the initial list of potentials projects and their projected costs.

• LINK: Agenda
• LINK: Presentation

April 15, 2023 Update - Committee Meeting #3 (Facilities Tour)

The third meeting of the Long Range Facilities and Bond Planning Committee was held Saturday, April 15, 2023. The committee toured Tiger Fieldhouse and Stadium, A&M Consolidated High School, Southwood Valley Elementary, Rock Prairie Elementary, the College Station Middle School Football Stadium, College Station High School, and the CSHS Fieldhouse.

Please see links to the meeting agenda and presentation below.

• LINK: Tour Booklet

April 13, 2023 Update - Committee Meeting #2

The second meeting of the Long Range Facilities and Bond Planning Committee was held Thursday, April 13, 2023. The committee received a demographic update from Zonda Demographer Bob Templeton and an overview of the recent facilities condition assessment.

Please see links to the meeting agenda and presentation below.

• LINK: Agenda
• LINK: Presentation

April 4, 2023 Update - Committee Meeting #1

The first meeting of the Long Range Facilities and Bond Planning Committee was held Tuesday, April 4, 2023. After welcomes and introductions, the committee was familiarized with the facilitator Dr. Lizzy Johnson's process of navigating the committee through their role and what to expect. Executive Director of Facilities Jon Hall then led the group through an update of projects associated with the 2021 bond package. Finally, Chief Financial Officer Amy Drozd gave a presentation on the basics of school finance.

Please see links to the meeting agenda and presentation below.

• LINK: Agenda
• LINK: Presentation

March 21, 2023 Update

The CSISD Board of Trustees approved the 48-member Long Range Facilities and Bond Planning Committee.

• LINK: Committee Members

February 21, 2023 Update

College Station ISD is working with VLK Architects to produce a long-range facilities plan.  The plan is to review and prioritize the district’s facility needs and consider future bond referendums to support areas including, but not limited to: facilities, renovations, deferred maintenance, buses, athletics, fine arts, career and technical education, land acquisition, technology, and other capital needs.

As part of the Long Range Facilities Planning process approved by the board in September 2022, Melissa Fleming from VLK Architects gave the board an update on the progress (LINK: Presentation) at the February 21 meeting.  The update included an overview of the Facility Condition Assessment for existing buildings.

The Long Range Facilities Plan is meant to fully address needs, culminating in a bond program. It aligns the community’s expectations with the district’s actions, and comprehensively captures educational needs, physical condition needs, capacity needs, leadership goals, and curriculum plans, resulting in a true plan for readiness. 

As of November 2021, a Long Range Facilities plan is required by the Texas Education Agency before a district can place a bond package on the ballot.

Up until this point, VLK has gathered feedback from district and campus administration, comprehensively reviewed existing facilities and has provided the district with the following documents:

• Curation Report - Curation studies the district philosophy in order to adequately approach the collaborative Long Range Facility Planning process.
• Programming and Capacity Analysis - This report looks at preferred adjacencies, number and sizes of spaces and how the spaces support the educational program.  The report also includes a building capacity analysis.
• Facilities Condition Assessment - VLK performed assessments of instructional campuses, administrative buildings, maintenance warehouse and transportation facilities.  The assessments include review of as-built drawings, site visits, reviewing district standards for new construction, surveys of campus principals and program directors, and incorporating current building codes and accessibility requirements.
• High School Athletic Facility Comparison - This report includes comparisons of fieldhouses, lockerrooms, showers, and shared spaces.
• Educational Adequacy Index - This assessment reviews how well a school supports the teaching and learning goals of the district. The form includes over 100 data points which involves a physical walk-through of every space. A combination of TEA Standards, Education Specifications and the districts educational mission serve as the base for comparison. Sample items include: Are the rooms the correct size? Are corridors wide enough for efficient traffic flow? Do classrooms have natural light? Is the furniture flexible?

Fleming gave an overview of the facilities condition assessment, noting that the purpose is to identify aging facilities, overcrowded facilities, inequities among campuses, and areas of growing and expanding programs.

Fleming also noted some examples of identified issues (not an inclusive list):

• Life cycle replacements of roofs and mechanical (HVAC) system
• Site improvements (paving, drainage, on-site circulation)
• Aging interior conditions at Rock Prairie
• Unequitable athletic facilities at middle schools and high schools
• Overcrowding at College Station High School (12 classrooms in portables)
• Need for additional space for science labs at A&M Consolidated High School
• Need for additional space for CTE and fine arts programs at middle schools and high schools

The board also approved the charter for an ad hoc Long Range Facilities and Bond Planning Committee.  

Committee membership will be presented for approval at the March 21, 2023  board meeting and the committee will meet from March through May to determine the appropriate solutions and projects in relation to cost and priority of needs through a consensus building process.

The results of the committee’s work and any potential bond referendums and associated timeline will be presented to the board in June.