From the cover
Argyle ISD’s $512M bond looks to accommodate growth
BY JONATHAN PERRIELLO
The context
Two-minute impact
Projected student enrollment
The bond takes signi cant steps in ful lling AISD’s plan to repurpose Argyle Middle School into a second high school, Carpenter said. AISD’s capacity in grades 6-8 is 2,028. Enrollment was 1,273 last fall and could eclipse 2,600 in a decade, Carpenter said. The bond’s new middle school construction project looks to mitigate this issue. Similarly, AHS will surpass its capacity in 10 years, she said. Bond capacity projects for both schools would alleviate enrollment burden until the split, which will occur before AHS reaches 2,200 students and 6A UIL classi cation. Enrollment at AHS was 1,527 students last fall, Carpenter said. AMS needs improvements compared to newer schools, Hilltop Elementary teacher and bond committee member Hilary Loupot said in an email.
In 2017, Argyle ISD had 2,460 students and four campuses. By August it will exceed 5,800 students and open its seventh campus. In 10 years, AISD could serve nearly 11,000 students, per district data. The rapid growth carved a need for additional instructional space, prompting the district to put a $511.5 million bond before voters this May with three propositions addressing the issue. If approved, the bond would not increase the tax rate. “Being visionary and preparing for the growth will provide our current and future students experiences without the burden of extreme overcrowding and insu cient learning environments,” Superintendent Courtney Carpenter said in an email. In addition to being the largest bond, it is AISD’s rst long-range bond at 10 years, Carpenter said. The 2017 and 2022 bonds were each three- to ve-year bonds.
12K 10K
+97.02%
8K 6K 4K 2K 0
School year
SOURCE: ZONDA EDUCATION COMMUNITY IMPACT
Proposed renovations would expand the school’s cafeteria using space from its second gym and rebuild the gym as a result of losing that space.
What else
Current bond
The proposed bond features new school and facility construction, capacity improvements, land acquisition, and technology refreshes. Proposition A, $482.38M This would fund: • Building a new middle and elementary school • Increase capacity at Argyle High School • Expand the cafeteria and rebuild gyms at Argyle Middle School • Buying land for future schools and facilities Proposition B, $22.65M This would fund building a new sports complex at Argyle High School for baseball and softball teams. Proposition C, $6.5M This would provide funds to purchase new laptops for secondary students to accommodate their growing population in the district.
AISD needs more sports facilities for its future plan to operate two high schools, Carpenter said. Athletes on AHS’s varsity and sub-varsity teams play at the AMS facility. The bond would allocate over $22 million for a new baseball and softball complex at AHS. The bond also calls for $38 million in capital improvements at AMS, Hilltop Elementary and The Sixth Grade Center—AISD’s three oldest campuses— Loupot said. “Students and sta cannot work successfully in environments that fall into disrepair,” she said.
With the addition of a second high school in the future, AISD will need a second baseball complex.
COURTESY ARGYLE ISD
Going forward
large could impact the district’s ability to provide quality programs and adequately serve teachers, she said. AISD has a history of nancial integrity, and this bond can be completed by maintaining the existing tax rate, Carpenter said. In the past, AISD has saved taxpayers over $17 million by re nancing existing bonds, she said. “These projects will provide 10 years of exceptional facilities and learning experiences for the current and future students in Argyle ISD,” she said.
Some AISD parents, including Acela Spiegelberg, are concerned with the bond’s price tag. Spiegelberg said while she recognizes the rapid growth and agrees with buying more land, the bond is too big and encompasses too much right now. “Almost everything on the bond is necessary; it’s about the timing,” she said. The district could have split the total between two bonds over several years to avoid calling additional bonds, should cost surges drain funds before projects are completed, Spiegelberg said. A bond this
AISD bond totals
0 $100M $200M $300M $400M $500M $600M
$511M
$267M
$166M
2017 2022 2024
SOURCE: ARGYLE ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
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FLOWER MOUND HIGHLAND VILLAGE ARGYLE EDITION
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