HPISD Approves Facilities Recommendations
Last night the Highland Park ISD board of trustees approved the facilities committee’s recommendations, bringing the anticipated total to $358.3 million for the projected November bond program. Now, we’ve been tracking the trajectory of this discussion for you throughout — from discussions on additional classrooms and changes to parking to natatorium debates and land purchases.
Here’s a brief breakdown: the elementary school renovations and rebuilds (including one new campus) takes up $139,809,398; renovations and parking modifications to MIS/HPMS equal roughly $38,304,320; changes to the high school account for $83,065,675; “extra and co-curricular” (a.k.a. the stadium, tennis center, and multi-sport complex) add up to $29,889,523; finally, technology and land acquisition total $48,814,227.
“We’ve made an immense amount of progress,” new board president Joe Taylor said.
Click here to view the entire recommendation. Taylor pointed out that the rebuild of Hyer Elementary School is now accounted for in the numbers, and trustee Kelly Walker added that at this time, the sequencing of the elementary rebuilds is unknown.
“We have complete confidence in the recommendations you’ve made,” Walker said to committee members.
The board will formally call the election on Aug. 24, so they plan to hold public forums and allow for community feedback between now and then — of course, the committee itself is tasked with the public forums, not the board.
With full knowledge that summer is a difficult time for scheduling due to travel, the district has established a space for online feedback here.
“This is going to be a very large conversation with the community and we need to treat it as such,” Taylor said. “We’re all united.”
Wow. That’s a lot of $$$.
If this proposal is approved and the bonds are generated, I believe the demand for them will be strong. I would readily purchase some.