Early voting Oct. 23- Nov. 3, Election day Nov. 7

By KIM ESTES
Four Points News

A proposed $454.4 million bond that would increase student capacity — including the expansion of Vandegrift High School — improve safety measures and provide major facility maintenance district-wide is now in the hands of Leander ISD voters, who will cast ballots for or against it this fall.

District trustees unanimously called for the referendum at their regular meeting on Thursday.

Four Points specific

If voters approve the bond, the most significant changes in Four Points’ facilities will be at VHS and Steiner Ranch Elementary.

Specifically, VHS would gain 14 classrooms, expansion of Monroe Stadium grandstands and a barn for agriculture, as well as Career and a Technical Education Incubator classroom.

The proposition also includes $3 million for design and mitigation costs tied to the construction of an additional access road to Vandegrift and Four Points Middle School.

SRE would be spruced up with major maintenance work including paint, carpeting, lighting and heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades.

More bond details

“If voters approve the initiative, the district will maintain its existing tax rate of $1.51 per $100 valuation,” said Corey Ryan, LISD chief communications officer.

LISD’s last bond election was in 2007. Since then, the district has grown by 11,828 students. Enrollment is expected to continue increasing by about 1,200 students per year, said Ryan.

Preparations for the proposition began at the first of the year when the district brought together 155 community volunteers as a bond advisory committee to review and prioritize projects.

Board discussion

On Thursday, trustees changed just one BAC recommendation when they reduced proposed technology expenditures by $9 million. The reduction offsets costs for the committee’s “optional” recommendations, allowing them to be included in the final proposition.

In discussion before the vote, trustees agreed to reduce proposed technology expenditures from $47.7 million to $38.7 million.

“My goal is to lower the bond,” said Will Streit, LISD board vice president, in his request for the reduction.

Matt Smith, LISD chief of staff, and Laurie Vondersaar, senior executive director of information technology services, said it was possible to lower proposed technology expenditures by $6.6 million by deferring some infrastructure funding for fiber cable until the next bond election.

They also agreed to an additional $2.4 million in cuts but did not commit to specifics. “I think we can find some other savings,” said Smith.

In further discussion before the vote, trustee Don Hisle said he would like to see the BAC’s “optional” items included in the bond package. Board members agreed with exception to $312,000 for grounds equipment, which district staff said could be funded out of the regular budget.

The optional items that are now permanent in the initiative are

• Construction of VHS and Glenn High School agriculture barn facilities, $6.9 million. (The VHS barn would be built on the Grandview Hills Elementary campus.)
• Additions/renovations to Leander High School barn facilities, $674,132.
• Additions to the Vista Ridge High School JROTC building, $872,109.
• Career and Technical Education Incubator classrooms for both VHS and VRHS, $1.1 million.

 

Expenditure breakdown

A breakdown of expenditures shows the bond provides $172,536,655 for elementary schools, $117,525,385 for middle schools, $87,175,801 for high schools, $38,730,000 for technology, $28,893,000 for ancillary (transportation) requests and $9,544,468 for optional items.

At a glance, the bond would permit the design, construction and furnishing of three new LISD elementary schools and a middle school, and land purchases for a future high school, middle school and seven elementary schools. Secure vestibules would be built at all district high schools and middle schools, too.

The measure also provides for the construction of a north transportation satellite facility to serve that high-growth area, the purchase of 88 replacement buses and the replacement of vans and ground trucks.

After the vote to call the bond election, the board praised the BAC and LISD staff members for their work on the bond proposal.

“On behalf of the board, I would like to thank the bond committee and staff for their work. This has been a vetted process through multiple layers to prepare the best package for students, educators and voters,” said Pamela Waggoner, board president.

Early voting will run from Oct. 23 through Nov. 3. Election day is Nov. 7. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 10.
For more details about the bond proposal, go to www.leanderisd.org