New Braunfels Edition | January 2022

EDUCATION

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School districts’ bond projects move forward with focus on expansion

ON THE HORIZON NEWSCHOOLS Both districts included funds to construct new campus facilities in their approved 2021 bond proposals. Below are the costs of a few of those projects.

Redistricting continues As a result of population growth documented through the 2020 U.S. census, both New Braunfels ISD and Comal ISD are in the process of redistricting their single-member trustee districts to ensure more even population distribution. NBISD trustees approved a redistricting plan during a Dec. 13 board meeting, and CISD board members are slated to take action on a proposed redistricting map Jan. 12. NBISD considers innovation designation The New Braunfels ISD board of trustees on Dec. 13 adopted a resolution to begin the process of becoming a District of Innovation, or DOI. A DOI designation allows Texas school districts to have more independent control over district operations. The concept was passed into law in 2015 during the 84th legislative session. Approximately 90% of independent school districts in Texas have received this designation, Superintendent Cade Smith said, including North East ISD and Hays CISD. CISD to address transportation challenges During fall 2021, Comal ISD oce sta of the transportation department stepped in to ll vacancies, said David Andersen, deputy superintendent of school operations, during a Dec. 14 board meeting. Andersen said the solution is not sustainable, and district ocials are developing a plan to address transportation needs. Ocials have discussed the possibility of ending service to homes where students live within a 2-mile radius of their school, but plans are ongoing, and the district is not expected to take action until after the new year. NBISD to implement character curriculum On Dec. 13, NBISD board members approved spending $12,585.06 in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds to purchase a one-year digital license for a character-building curriculum to be used for secondary education. Counselors at elementary schools in the district teach positive character traits during guidance lessons, but there was not a curriculum used at the secondary level prior to the 2021-22 school year. The Character Strong curriculum includes lessons on emotional understanding, empathy, values, goals and leadership, NBISD Assistant Superintendent Kara Bock said, and the curriculum includes lessons for each grade level.

BY LAUREN CANTERBERRY COMAL ANDNEWBRAUNFELS ISDS Following the approval of several bond measures during the Nov. 2 election, New Braunfels ISD and Comal ISD ocials have begun work on projects approved by voters. In both districts, bond measures slated to provide funding for bus and land purchases, the construction of new campuses, technology upgrades and infrastructure projects have moved forward. The propositions approved in NBISD totaled $327.9 million and Clint McLain, assistant superinten- dent of nancing and operations for NBISD, said in an email that the district is in the process of selling the rst issuance of bond funds. Those funds are expected to be received by the district in February, McLain said. “Because of nancing, there is the opportunity to complete both larger projects and small projects at the same time,” McLain said in his email. “Amajor project like Long Creek High School can get underway at the same time as smaller projects such as additions to Klein Road and Voss Farms elementary campuses, as well as playgrounds, can all get underway around the same time.” The district is slated to replace playgrounds at six elementary schools as one of the rst projects included in the bond, NBISD Superintendent Cade Smith wrote in a letter to the district. The playground improvements are estimated to be completed during the 2022-23 school year. Design work, bidding and preparing for the construction associated with expanding the Ninth Grade Center into the district’s second high school will be one of the rst projects to begin, Smith wrote. Crews are expected to break ground on the project in about one year, and the campus is anticipated to open for the 2024-25 school year. In CISD, voters approved $411.3 million for the construction of two new elementary schools, a new middle school and infrastructure

projects. An additional $34.5 million was approved for teacher and student technology upgrades. During a Nov. 18 board meeting, Puger Architects—an Austin-based rm that has completed several proj- ects for the district—was named as the architect and engineer for the district’s eighth middle school. Board members and district sta have emphasized the importance of prioritizing campus construction to keep pace with the growing popu- lation, and Alex Araujo, executive director of construction and planning for CISD, said that all approved projects have moved forward. “We have probably kicked o almost all of our projects. I don’t know that there’s anything that we haven’t had some kind of movement on,” Araujo said. Projects like maintenance improve- ments and safety upgrades that do not require additional design or engineer- ing are able to begin more quickly than school construction, he said, and work on smaller projects will continue concurrently with larger items. Araujo said the district hopes to break ground on the eighth middle school by June and anticipates receiv- ing nal bids for the two elementary schools early in 2022. “The only reason that we have things that may go before other things is just because of governmental regulations and things and compliance issues. …Or we’re dealing with long lead times for state review and things like that,” he said. “The other thing that might drive some things is the availability of materials and supply chain issues. And we’re trying to make sure that we’re getting ahead of those.” Bond measures designed to provide funding for recreational facilities and stadiums failed to receive voter approval in both districts. Ocials are evaluating how to move forward. In NBISD, McLain said the con- struction of Long Creek High School and the rst phase of the New Braunfels High School rebuild will provide time to determine how to meet athletics needs.

NBISD

Ninth Grade Center conversion to Long Creek High School

$121.98 million

Est. opening August 2024

New Braunfels High School on-site campus replacement Phase 1 $102.77 million Est. opening August 2025

Elementary School No. 11 $42 million

Est. opening summer 2026

CISD

Elementary School No. 19 and No. 20 $70 million Est. opening August 2023

Middle School No. 8 $65 million

Est. opening August 2024

Hill Country College Preparatory High School Campus $46 million

Est. opening August 2024

SOURCES: COMAL ISD, NEW BRAUNFELS ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

Ocials in CISD have begun dis- cussing the potential of including the projects in future bonds, said Steve Stanford, assistant superintendent of communications and organizational alignment for CISD. Stanford said the school board will discuss the possibility of calling a 2022 bond for those projects that did not pass or including them in an anticipated 2023 bond. “Those needs still exist. We still have safety issues with a stadium there at Canyon Lake, we still have some locker room and program expansion issues there at Davenport,” Stanford said. “These are things that we need and want to take care of for our students.”

NEW BRAUNFELS EDITION • JANUARY 2022