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Who is eligible to vote?
Any United States citizen who meets
the following requirements is eligible to vote:
- A resident of the Friendswood Independent School District
- At least 18 years of age
- Registered to vote at least 30 days prior to election day,
November 6, 2007
Not a convicted felon (unless a sentence, probation and/or parole
have been
completed)
Why do we need a bond election?
......The majority of Friendswood ISD's schools are currently
over capacity. With the recent development of West Ranch and
other subdivisions being planned, student enrollment is expected
to continue to grow. Student enrollment has grown by 10 percent
in the last five years. A demographic study predicts the district's
enrollment will grow to 9,000 students. In 2007, enrollment is
just under 5,900. Currently, there are 33 portable buildings
in use. The district must plan to provide additional space in
order to meet the expected growth. With increased requirements
by the Texas Education Agency, the junior high as well as the
elementary and high school campuses do not provide or have the
space to meet the needs of the students, according to Bay Architects.
If the bond passes, the additions to existing campuses as well
as the new Junior High and 6th Grade Center will meet the optimal
space requirements.
Will the bond increase my taxes if I am
65 years of age or older or disabled?
......No. If you are a senior citizen receiving the "over-65
exemption," or an individual who has a disability and is
receiving a "disability exemption," your tax payment
on your home will not change as a result of the bond program
unless you have made new improvements to your home. If you currently
do not have an exemption for which you may be qualified, contact
your county appraisal district.
How was the Bond package developed?
......The process began in 2003 when a School Board directive
was issued to develop a long-range facilities plan through build
out with the involvement of the community. The plan was to meet
expected enrollment growth, be cost effective, support exemplary
educational standards and address needs of existing facilities.
......A
Citizens Facility Advisory Committee was formed in the falloff
2003 and met monthly for 13 months. The group toured the FISD
facilities. The group was divided into three sub-committees:
alignment/zoning/instruction; current facilities/maintenance;
and future facilities/land acquisition. In September 2004, the
Facility Advisory Committee presented a long-range strategic
plan for a school bond.
......Although
growth in student population was evident in the district, it
had not been enough to be able to staff a new campus so new facilities
were postponed at that time. A bond was passed in 2005 for $5.5
million in existing facilities renovating and replacing HVAC,
roofs, drainage and cafeteria equipment.
......In
the spring of 2007, a new Facility Advisory Committee was formed
to review work of the 2003-04 committee to determine if the Facilities
Long Range Strategic Plan recommended to the Board was still
relevant.
......The
new committee endorsed the long-range plan previously recommended
with a slight change. Instead of adding on to Windsong and Bales
Intermediate campuses, the committee wanted to construct a sixth
grade "wing" or campus at the new junior high. They
wanted the Board to consider adding a natatorium and unanimously
recommended the Board move forward to implement.
......In
the diagrams to the left, campus enrollment and capacity levels
are shown for current facilities as well as for build-out in
2020.
......A
demographic study was conduced by PASA of College Station and
it was reported that approximately 9,000 students would possibly
be attending FISD at build-out. Current enrollment is 5850. Average
growth for the past five years is slightly over two percent per
year. Student enrollment has grown 10 percent over the past five
years from 5,242 to 5, 850.
What are school bonds?
......Bonds for school projects are similar to a mortgage
on a home. To finance construction projects, the district sells
bonds to investors who will be paid principal and interest. Long-term
financing is essential in the construction of school facilities.
How can bond money be used?
......Bond money can be used for new schools, renovations,
furniture, equipment, new school sites and buses.
Will more buses be needed for transportation
for the Early Childhood Center?
......At this time, we do not believe that more buses will
need to be purchased. The ECC and Kindergarten students could
continue to ride with the elementary students and would be taken
to their campus from that bus.
Will FISD be adding additional staff?
......Yes, additional staff has been planned. Jobs such
as nurse, librarian, administrators, and others would need to
be added for the additional campus.
Why was it decided to have an Early Childhood/Kindergarten
campus separate from the two elementary campuses?
......If a separate campus was not added, the two elementary
campuses would be mega-campuses with more students than FISD
wanted in each school. Many costly renovations would have to
be made to tackle the increasing enrollment. More portables would
be installed. By having the separate campus, no additional zones
will have to be determined, the new building on the site will
be developmentally appropriate for the campus and in the future,
if FISD approves it, room would be available for an Early Childhood
Center for ESL students.
Will 6th graders be together with 7-8th
graders at the new Junior High?
......No. The sixth grade students will have a separate
building. There will be shared facilities such as an auditorium,
cafeteria and library but the curriculum and classes are planned
separately.
What is a natatorium and why do we need
it?
......A natatorium is an indoor pool that can be used year
round. The FHS Swim Team has been in existence for 20 years with
no facility in the district in which to perform their sport.
They have used other ISD pools and the city pool. During the
20 years, the swimmers have competed many times at State and
even competed in diving (the city pool has no diving facility).
A natatorium will not only offer the team a facility in which
to practice but the Olympic sized pool will also offer opportunities
for physical education classes at all campuses. The pool would
be a place for conditioning and rehab programs supervised by
FISD athletic trainers and coaches. The aquatic facility would
be able to partner with Community Ed and the city and offer community
programs.
We have already renovated the stadium recently.
What is still needing to be done?
......During the last bond that was approved, the stadium
received new turf and new track. In this bond election, the focus
is on safety. Currently, the stadium does not offer seating for
the amounts of fans who come to the Mustang Football games. Additional
seating will help keep fans from having to stand at the fences
and would provide areas that they could sit with their children.
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