A slate of massive potential improvements projects for the Sulphur Springs Union School District is set for discussion at Wednesday’s governing board meeting — with estimated costs of $172 million.
While no decision will be made Wednesday on those projects, meant to upgrade or construct 21st-century facilities across the district, the board will be reviewing them and the possible solutions to funding them.
According to the presentation included with the agenda, the report was created by Caldwell, Flores & Winters, a planning and financing firm that works with school districts. The firm determined the scope of the work after meetings with district staff and walking each school site “to assess the facilities and to create an inventory of teaching stations, support spaces, administrative offices, and other specialized facilities at each school.”
All nine school sites in the district were listed in the report. Five of them were last modernized this century, though Mitchell Community School just missed that mark by a year, and two others were built in the 21st Century.
Mitchell and Pinetree Community School are currently eligible for modernization funding, while the other seven sites will become eligible over the next 10 years, according to the report. The former would need a 10-classrom building to be constructed to replace 10 portable classrooms, and would need additional space to accommodate more students as new housing in the surrounding area is constructed.
The goals for the proposed improvements are as follows:
- Provide transitional kindergarten and kindergarten-compliant classrooms to meet the new state requirement for an additional grade level and add a grade configuration to fully implement TK.
- House all students in permanent classrooms where feasible.
- Provide 21st-Century learning environments and implement modern teaching methods.
- Provide additional classrooms at Mitchell to accommodate the additional students to be generated by various housing developments in the region.
- Provide a science lab and music room at schools to enhance these academic programs.
- House support staff and programs in permanent support facilities where feasible.
- Provide inclusive playgrounds at schools where needed.
- Remove portable classrooms from schools and restore open space where feasible.
So how is this going to be funded?
The options to be presented are state grants and a potential general obligation bond.
According to the report, the district could be eligible for approximately $31.7 million in modernization grants within the next 10 years. Grants of $7.5 million could also be available for new construction by 2032.
A potential bond, if one is put on the 2026 ballot and approved by voters, would be issued over a six-year period and would generate approximately $121.7 million in total proceeds. The total amount generated would assume annual tax rates of $30 per $100,000 of assessed value, and a bond interest rate of approximately 4.7%.
The projects, if approved at a later meeting, would be completed in three phases, as determined by district priorities and state funding eligibility.
All information that will be presented is preliminary and subject to change, as determined by the governing board.
None of the proposed funding would be used for the new school set to built in the Skyline Ranch community.
Wednesday’s meeting is set to begin at 7 p.m. at Golden Oak Community School, located at 25201 Via Princessa.
