Education Focus — October 2007

Education Focus — October 2007

Written by Mark Collins Sunday, 07 October 2007

LISD Mentors, Technology Center and LISD Bond Proposal

by Mark Collins

LISD mentor program needs volunteers

The school district’s mentoring program is entering its sixth year and organizers say they hope to have more mentors than ever.

The program matches a volunteer adult with a Leander ISD student in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Mentors meet with their student weekly for 30 minutes.

The program is one-on-one relationship-based, not curriculum-based, so the pair can spend time coloring, playing games, reading a book, doing a puzzle or just playing on the playground.

Program director Jennifer Williams has received positive feedback not only from the mentors and students, but from the teachers and staff who work with the children.

According to Williams, the feedback indicates the students enrolled in the program show higher self esteem, a decrease in discipline problems and better grades.

“It gives our students that need a caring adult in their lives a person who is there consistently and is a positive role model,” she said. “They help the student with character development, academic success and self esteem.”

Each school in the Leander ISD has its own mentor coordinator who meets with volunteers to create successful matches with students.

Volunteers are still needed for the program. Last year, it finished with 75 mentors and would like to be well over a hundred this year, Williams said.

Interested individuals can call 434-5096 or visit www.leanderisd.org for more information.

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District gets new technology center

Construction on the Technology Services Facility began in early September and is expected to be completed by mid-March. Equipment is planned to be moved the week of spring break, March 10-14, with staff to follow in late June.

The Technology Services Facility is located at the corner of Municipal Drive and S. West Drive, near New Hope High School, the district’s alternative education school, and close to the administration building. It will serve as the hub for technology organization and control special systems for the district.

The $6.63 million project has taken into account district growth for the next 10 years.

For example, the current technology building’s data center is 600 square feet, while the new facility’s data center will be approximately 2,000 square feet. The data center hosts the district’s servers, uninterrupted power supplies and a back-up generator.

In addition to the data center, the facility will house training labs, district conference space and a district emergency command center.

The command center is designed to hold district administration and allow communications to continue during an emergency. The room holds up to 20 people and has reinforced concrete walls, a natural gas generator, two showers, and television, phone, computer and radio access.

Funding for the center was provided in the 2006 bond package.

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LISD bond proposal

LISD bond package up for vote Nov. 6

Recent reports from Population and Survey Analysts indicate that Leander ISD will continue its growth pattern, and predicts it will gain 14,135 students in the next five years and an additional 17,887 students in the following five years. By 2018, Leander ISD is projected to serve almost 60,000 students. PASA recommended construction of 22 additional schools over the next 10 years.

The board of trustees approved the inclusion of a $559 million bond election on the November ballot. It is aimed primarily at the construction of new schools, including two new high schools and the acquisition of land for future campuses. Improvements to A.C. Bible Stadium and a new athletic facility are also included.

The bond election comes 18 months after $286 million was approved in 2005. Bond elections usually occur every three years, but because Leander ISD is growing at the 10th fastest rate in the nation, officials said a new package was necessary.

According to Greg Grounds, spokesperson for LISD Building for Learning, taxes are not likely to increase for residents. As new residents move to the area, it provides a deeper tax base. Should a tax increase be necessary, school board policy prohibits tax raises of more than three cents a year. Taxpayers over 65 will never see an increase.

Early voting begins Oct. 22 and runs through Nov. 2, with Nov. 6 set as the official election date. For more information about voting and election day polling locations visit http://wilcogov.org/elections.

Bond Proposition Summary
New School Construction	$444,426,162
Athletic Facilities	$41,498,000
New School Design	$2,954,531
Land Acquisition	$26,581,125
Additions and Renovations	$18,434,000
Equipment Purchase/Replace	$24,981,916
Bond Rounding	$124,266
Total Proposition	$559,000,000

New School Construction	$444,426,162
High Schools (2)	$259,145,953
Middle School (1)	$49,733,517
Elementary Schools (5)	$135,546,692
Stadiums	$41,498,000
A. C. Bible Improvements	$8,298,000
Road improvements to Park Street	$1,400,000
New stadium	$31,800,000
New School Design (2 Elementary Schools)	$2,954,531
Land Acquisition	$26,581,125
High School (1)	$8,155,691
Middle Schools (2)	$7,350,584
Elementary Schools (6)	$11,074,850
Additions and Renovations to Existing Facilities	$18,434,000
Includes HVAC at Whitestone and Mason elementary schools, Enhancement of elementary entrance security at several campuses, HVAC at Leander Middle School, Expansion of Support Services building, Establishment of Transportation Satellite Facility at Grandview Hills Elementary site, and Additional Funding for Agriculture and Automotive centers at Vista Ridge and Rouse High Schools
Capital Equipment Purchase / Replacement	$24,981,916
Additional Classroom Technology, Computer Replacement Plan, Data Warehouse, Upgrade of Campus Telecommunications System, Expansion of Fiber Optic Network, Replacement of 14 School Busses, and Replacement of 17 Portable Classrooms
Bond Rounding	$124,266
TOTAL PROPOSITION	$559,000,00