On December 8, 2001, registered voters in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District approved $470.5 million in bonds for the construction of nine new schools and four new support facilities, the purchase of seven future school sites, the expansion and renovation of many existing facilities, and to purchase instructional technology in what was the largest referendum in the district’s history.
The school district drew the overwhelming support of 85.1 percent of all those who voted in the election, with the official count at 4,144 votes cast FOR and 724 votes cast AGAINST the single proposition. Such a strong demonstration of support is being credited to the community involvement throughout the referendum, which included the efforts of more than 100 volunteers.
Rick Berry, CFISD superintendent of schools, said that the bond election focused on the important partnership that the school district and the community share in contributing to the success of children, which was evident in the slogan used to promote the election: "Our Children, Our Community, Our Future."
"The bond election was all about the community supporting our school district," Berry said. "Members of the community developed the proposal, the Board approved it, and voters validated it. Children are the winners with community support like this."
A true community effort from start to finish, the passage of the bond election concluded a nine-month process that began in March 2001 with the formation of a 28-member Bond Steering Committee. Charged by the Board of Trustees to assess the district’s needs, the committee members were joined by additional volunteers serving on five subcommittees to analyze data and formulate a bond recommendation that would best serve both the district and taxpayers.
After more than six months of extensive research and considerable deliberation, the committee made its unanimous recommendation to the Board in September for a bond referendum in the amount of $470,545,500 to finance construction of new schools and educational support facilities, expansion or renovation of aging facilities, and the instructional technology needs of the district through 2006-07. Following a public forum on the committee’s recommendation that drew great support from parents and patrons, trustees voted in October to call the election.
An informational campaign was launched to provide the district’s registered voters with facts about the district as well as its current and future needs. The district’s print, on-line and television mediums were utilized to disseminate important information about the referendum, and more than 180 presentations were made to business, community and school organizations.
"Throughout the process, the Bond Steering Committee focused on identifying district needs. We felt that if the community were given factual information concerning these needs and how the election would impact each taxpayer, voters would respond favorably," said Berry.
In dealing with a referendum that has a $470.5 million implication, Berry stressed that it was critical that residents didn’t become distracted by the large number, but instead come to understand how the election would impact them personally.
"For a taxpayer in our district with a home valued at $100,000, the tax impact of the bond election would equal about a dollar per month," he said.
The passage of this bond referendum is expected to require an increase of only 1.9 cents per $100 of assessed property value as the maximum possible tax impact. These figures were derived using a conservative taxable growth rate of 6.5 percent. However, the district has actually averaged a growth rate of over 11 percent during the last five years. If the district’s taxable rate continues to grow at similar rates, it is likely that no tax increase would be associated with this referendum.
This election was called in response to recent record-setting student-enrollment increases— a trend that is expected to continue over the next five years— as well as growing financial needs generated by a large number of aging facilities. Already the fifth-largest school district in Texas and 53rd in the nation, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD has an enrollment of more than 67,300 students after realizing a record increase of nearly 4,000 students for the 2001-02 school year. A recent five-year enrollment study indicates that the district will serve approximately 80,000 students by 2006-07.
Two elementary schools approved in the bond election are already scheduled to open in 2003-04, along with an elementary school that is being built with interest and savings proceeds from the district’s previous bond election in 1998. Cypress-Fairbanks ISD currently operates 56 campuses, including 34 elementary schools, 12 middle school, six high schools and four special assignment schools. The district’s seventh high school and 35th elementary school are scheduled to open with the start of the 2002-03 school year.
The bonds will also provide funding for the construction of an additional four elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school, as well as four new support facilities including a multi-purpose educational support center, a second athletic stadium, a fourth transportation center, and an agricultural farm. Renovation or expansion projects will be conducted at 50 of the district’s 56 campuses and several support facilities throughout the district, while funds for instructional technology will be used to purchase new computers to help increase student access to technology and replace or upgrade aging equipment.
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