You are here: Home >> Round Rock/Pflugerville >> Education >> PISD retires debt to balance books for bond election

PISD retires debt to balance books for bond election

Attention: open in a new window.

Written by Beth Wade Sunday, 07 October 2007

Pflugerville ISD residents will decide in November whether or not to pass a $125 million bond package approved by the board of trustees at a regularly scheduled meeting in August. At that meeting, the board also approved the district’s request to retire $5 million in debt from a previous bond that will save the district $2 million in interest.

Along with saving the district millions of dollars, this move will balance the debt and allow taxes to remain at the current rate if voters approve the bond, PISD Superintendent Charles Dupre said.

“Projections show that allowing us to pay off the debt early will allow us to not have to raise the tax,” Dupre said. “The district is growing rapidly and we expect it to continue to grow rapidly.”

A demographer’s report completed earlier this year predicted the district would double in size within the next 10 years. To support the already booming population, the district will build an elementary school with money left from the 2005 bond.

Named Riojas Elementary, the school is expected to be open by Fall 2009 in the northeastern corner of the district near Weiss Lane, said Randy Reese, assistant superintendent of community relations and partnerships.

The school board is expected to approve the land purchase for the school’s site soon, he said.

For the first time, a bond committee composed of approximately 60 community members and key stakeholders formed the current bond package.

The committee spent the late spring and summer determining what the district needs to do to maintain its current facilities and curriculum and keep up with growth.

“[The bond] is a truly need-based, targeted effort, and it is basically a package with no frills,” said David Larsen, a committee member representing Connally High School. “It is based on necessity and identified needs. There are three new schools, plus planning for a high school.”

In the bond

The bond includes $67.6 million assigned for new schools and the design of the fourth high school, along with money for student instruction, safety and security improvements, building renovations and future school sites.

Now that the package is complete, the district will focus on publicizing it. Reese and other district officials hosted a community forum at Connally High School. A second forum will be held at Pflugerville High School Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria.

“We want to lay the facts out for everybody and encourage them to go out and vote. That is the most important thing,” Reese said. “Our taxpayers have passed every bond referendum we have had since 1988.”

Taxpayers will have their say on Election Day, but so far, Reese said, he has yet to hear negative comments.

“In order to keep up with the classroom space needed for increasing enrollment (it went up again 1,150 in just the last year) we are going to need more schools in the near future. I feel good about what we are asking from the voters, because it has gone through our citizen’s bond committee, and we have had a lot of eyes looking at it,” Reese said. “We feel it’s a good package. I feel we have been very fiscally responsible in this.”

Bond breakdown

The PISD proposed bond will appear on the Nov. 6 ballot

Summary

1. New schools - $67,600,000
- Includes: Three new campuses including a middle school and two elementary schools
2. Facility renovation - $25,749,000
- Includes: Sports fields and science labs
3. Student instruction - $12,500,000
- Includes: Computer replacement, classroom projectors
4. Technology infrastructure - $5,600,000
- Includes: Server and storage upgrade
5. Safety and security - $868,000
- Includes: Upgrade and standardize the radio system for campuses and departments
6. Future school sites - $8,500,000
7. Contingency and bond issuance cost - $4,183,000
- Includes: Estimated bond issuance cost and contingency

Grand Total - $125,000,000

Future schools

Middle School #6 - $28,150,000
Elementary School #20 - $18,250,000
Elementary School #19 - $17,200,000

For more information on early voting, Election Day and polling places, visit www.pflugervilleisd.net.

Facility renovations - Amount each school would receive

LEAST

Caldwell Elementary renovations - Campus security system: $60,000

IN-BETWEEN

Copperfield Elementary renovations - HVAC units: $180,000, Air-handling units: $260,000, Campus security system: $60,000

MOST

Pflugerville High renovations - Band hall: $5,900,000; Science labs: $3,290,000; Air handling units: $640,000; Tennis courts: $500,000; Theater arts dressing/prep room: $430,000; Dance studio: $360,000; Campus security system: $250,000; Parking lots/drives: $170,000; HVAC controls: $30,000; FAC lighting: $50,000; HVAC units: $180,000

ALL - Least to Most