abouTschools

BRYAN ISD SEEKS $37.5 MILLION IN BOND ELECTION By REBECCA WATTS

For more information on May's bond election, please contact the BISD Office of Communications at (979) 209-1020.

At Carver Early Childhood Center in West Bryan, over 400 pre-kindergarten students walk through brightly-colored arches to tiny classrooms that seem to shrink each year as enrollment numbers rise. Kemp Elementary, just around the corner from Carver, has a similar scenario with classrooms smaller than state size standards by 150 to 200 square feet. A lack of funds to address these and other growth and maintenance problems in Bryan schools have prompted school board trustees to ask voters for approval of a $37.5 million bond package in an upcoming May election.

Sandy Farris, Director of Communications at Bryan Independent School District, said, “It is a goal of the district to provide equal facilities for all children. School buildings are subject to much more wear and tear than the average home, and as they age, it becomes paramount that the district address facility needs. State standards for space and other accommodations have changed significantly since many of our buildings were constructed.”



Merrill Green, president of the BISD Board of Trustees, said the bond package, if approved, will not raise taxes. The bond is the maximum amount the board can ask for without increasing the debt service portion of the tax rate, currently at $.25 per $100 valuation. The maintenance and operations portion of the tax rate is set by voters and is not altered by the package. The election is scheduled for Saturday, May 10. Early voting runs April 28 through May 6 at the Bryan Municipal Building.

The largest portion of the 2008 bond is devoted to solving building problems at the Kemp and Carver campuses. The two schools will continue operating separately, but plan to consolidate campuses at the Kemp Elementary location. Design plans incorporate an existing classroom wing added to the elementary school in 1991 and would provide an additional 14,500 square feet. Kemp’s gym and a portion of the mosaic wall featuring the Kemp Cub mascot will be preserved for its historical value. Farris said the Carver location will be used to house the district’s Special Opportunity Program, currently located at the Lamar Campus. The project is estimated to cost $22 million.

The school board is also requesting the funds to buy two tracts of land in east and west Bryan for future elementary schools. The eastern tract is located on Old Reliance Rd. about one mile from Rudder High School and the western tract is located on Sandy Point Rd. near the intersection of FM 2818. There are currently 16 Bryan elementary schools whose students comprise 50% of BISD’s student population.

The remaining bond funds will be spread over several maintenance projects and the completion of Rudder High School. Jane Long Middle School, Sam Rayburn Middle School and Bowen Elementary require HVAC system replacements and upgrades. Jane Long and Sam Rayburn, built in 1989, and Bowen, built in 1994, have their original HVAC systems, meaning some system components are almost 20 years old. Chillers, boilers, pumps, and control units are some of the equipment in need of an upgrade. Grady Slaydon, director of BISD planning and operations, said new indoor air quality standards often require an increase in the amount of outside air available to the system which requires additional piping, ductwork and air handlers.

The bond package also includes funds for the possible streamlining of traffic circulation around Jane Long and Sam Rayburn middle schools. Parents and buses often overflow into heavily trafficked surrounding roadways. Changes and additions to parking areas would streamline the pick-up process and alleviate safety concerns.

Funds are also included for buses to accommodate the growing transportation needs of BISD and allow some of the district’s older buses to retire. Slaydon said, “The buses are to accommodate the growth in both number of campuses and number of students in the future and to replace the buses in our fleet that are approaching the end of their useful life. Some of our buses are nearing 20 years of service.”

The bond is additionally needed to complete some projects that were cut from the 2005 bond package due to a change in project scale and rising construction costs triggered by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Project changes included an increase in the capacity of Rudder High School from 1200 to 1600 students as well as the addition of an auditorium. Crockett and Bonham Elementary each received a pre-kindergarten classroom and in response to new technology standards, updated classroom presentation systems were installed. Slaydon said, “These changes in scope, along with the high construction cost inflation, caused some of the originally planned projects to be wholly or partially postponed.” Lighting, equipment, and restroom facilities for the baseball, softball, and football fields were pushed back but were never intended to be permanently deleted from campus plans. Slaydon said these items are of completion rather than addition and Green agrees.

“This bond issue is a sort of follow-up,” Green said. “The funds that we had [in 2005] were inadequate. With a school district the size of Bryan, there’s always more that needs to be done. We should have had more confidence in the community the first time.” The Carver and Kemp campus project was also originally scheduled with the 2005 bond package.

With the economy showing signs of faltering outside of Texas, BISD officials have done extensive research to make sure all of the proposed projects included in the 2008 package will be completed. “The district has consulted with architects, engineers, and construction industry organizations to try to get a clear picture of the inflation forecast for school construction in Texas,” Slaydon said. The Board used this information, in addition to current pricing information, to determine the possible costs of the projects. BISD Superintendent Mark Cargill said, “Bryan has a proud history as a community that wants the very best for our children. I am very impressed with the leadership that our board of trustees has exhibited in bringing this issue to the voters.”

The Bryan ISD Bond Referendum Committee, formed by those in favor of the 2008 bond issue, is working to garner support from the community. Judy Sweat, chair of the group’s Steering Committee, is excited about the possibility of the community approving the bond package. “It is certainly a win-win situation for the entire community,” Sweat said. “Improved and enhanced facilities without incurring a tax increase! And as we all know, great schools help produce and promote great communities.”