Education
BY KELLY SCHAFLER
Fort Bend ISD will delay and eliminate several projects from its 2023 bond to save nearly $96 million, acting as the first project slash since staff announced the initial $163.2 million shortfall estimate earlier this year. Trustees voted to eliminate a new elementary school in Harvest Green, delay a transportation facility, and adjust fine arts and athletics projects from the $1.26 billion bond at the Oct. 21 FBISD board meeting. This move will allow FBISD to reallocate funds to over-budget projects. District leaders said the shortfall could be as much as $80 million once the remaining project estimates come in. FBISD defers, eliminates 2023 bond projects
The details
District staff presented trustees with their plan on how to cull the deficit during the previous September and early October meetings. District staff recommended the following plan during the Oct. 7 agenda review meeting: • Delaying the district’s southeast transportation facility on FM 521, and potentially deferring some of the funds to build a special education transpor- tation facility • Eliminating construction on Elementary School No. 55, set for the Harvest Green community near Harlem Road • Limiting synthetic turf projects to bring costs down $23.4 million to reach the budgeted cost, with district staff saying they would prioritize age of campus and condition of fields when choosing the campuses that would receive the upgrade • Adjusting the fine arts project scope by reducing some classrooms at Hightower High School back to the budgeted amount to save $6 million
Cost savings
Eliminate Elementary School No. 55: $47.57M
Align turf and athletics with budget: $23.2M Defer transportation facility: $19.19M Align fine arts additions with budget: $6M Total $95.96M
SOURCE: FORT BEND ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
With trustees’ Oct. 21 vote, FBISD officials will have the option to use up to $33.08 million in contingency funds from the previous 2014, 2018 and 2023 bond packages, according to board doc- uments. These 2023 contingency funds can only be used for other projects within the proposition due to a 2019 law requiring school districts to split special-purpose items into their own propositions.
Remaining 2023 bond shortfall
$163.2M
Looking ahead
$200M
$150M
During the next meeting, trustees will also discuss the scope and funding for the natatorium project, which was also included in the 2023 bond. Chief Financial Officer Bryan Guinn cautioned trustees against considering calling a bond before the remaining 30% of 2023 bond projects receive independent cost estimates, which could continue coming in until the second quarter of 2025.
While Elementary School No. 55 and some of Hightower High School’s fine arts additions were eliminated from the 2023 bond, trustees and staff will discuss funding projects with a potential special-purpose bond proposition during the Nov. 4 agenda review meeting. Other renovations at Hightower High School can move forward in the meantime, officials said.
$57.3M
$100M
$50M
0
SOURCE: FORT BEND ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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