Bond 2014
On November 4, 2014, Wylie ISD patrons approved a $94.2 million package. We are grateful for this tremendous show of support and trust. Since the election our staff, our architects and the Board have been busy creating a timeline for getting these projects underway. You may recall that these bonds are focused on updating four key areas of need:
- Renovations and Additions (26.3 million)
- Safety Concerns ($2.5 million)
- Technology Upgrades ($5.2 million)
- Provision for Future Growth (60.2 million)
During the bond presentations, we promised voters that we would be transparent and accountable for these funds by providing updates on each campus and project. With that promise in mind, we are proud to present the 2014 Bond Project Timeline. Please select any Wylie ISD campus below (including George W. Bush Elementary, our newest campus opening in 2016) to see the projects scheduled for each campus.
Some of these projects will occur “behind the scenes” with no disruption to the school day. Others will be done during the summer to minimize the impact on teachers, students and parents. But a few may impact traffic patterns in and around the school. We will provide updates on effected campuses as needed.
And while we will make every effort to stay on this schedule, bad weather, material supplies and vendor issues could result in minor delays.
We recently received some great news on the financial side of these bonds as well, our bond rating climbed to AA2! Again, thank you for your support of Wylie ISD.
Bond Resources
Bond Projects
Akin Elementary
Campus Age: 26Amount: $1.237M
- Safety and security upgrades including fires alarm system, LED exterior lighting, building access control system and signage
- Building maintenance including restrooms and roof
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning.
Birmingham Elementary
Campus Age: 29Amount: $339,000
- Safety and security upgrades including fires alarm system, LED exterior lighting, campus communication, additional perimeter fencing, building access control system and signage.
- Building maintenance including restrooms and roof
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning.
Cox Elementary
Campus Age: 10Amount: $534,000
- Safety and security upgrades including LED exterior lighting, campus communication, additional perimeter fencing, building access control system and signage
- Building maintenance including carpet, flooring and exterior paint
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning.
Dodd Elementary
Campus Age: 15Amount: $2.9M
- Safety and security upgrades including fires alarm system, LED exterior lighting, campus communication, additional perimeter fencing, building access control system and signage.
- Building maintenance including kitchen, HVAC system, library, plumbing, paint, carpet and floors and roof.
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning.
Groves Elementary
Campus Age: 12Amount: $554,000
- Safety and security upgrades including fires alarm system, LED exterior lighting, campus communication, additional security cameras, building access control system and signage
- Building maintenance including restrooms, carpet and floors, and interior and exterior painting
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning.
- Remove the need for any portables
Hartman Elementary
Campus Age: 51Amount: $2.4M
- Safety and security upgrades including LED exterior lighting, campus communication, building access control system and signage
- Building maintenance including playground fencing, HVAC system, restrooms, and doorways
- Renovate front entryway including main office and library (SEE RENDERING)
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning.
Smith Elementary
Campus Age: 7Amount: $288,000
- Safety and security upgrades including LED exterior lighting, campus communication, additional security cameras, building access control system and signage
- Building maintenance including restrooms
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning.
Tibbals Elementary
Campus Age: 9Amount: $283,000
- Safety and security upgrades including LED exterior lighting, campus communication, additional security cameras, building access control system and signage
- Building maintenance including restrooms
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning.
Watkins Elementary
Campus Age: 4Amount: $86,000
- Safety and security upgrades including LED exterior lighting, campus communication, building access control system and signage
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning.
Whitt Elementary
Campus Age: 7Amount: $327,000
- Safety and security upgrades including playground fencing, LED exterior lighting, campus communication, building access control system and signage
- Building maintenance including carpets and restrooms
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning.
Davis Intermediate
Campus Age: 10Amount: $6.380M
- Safety and security upgrades including LED exterior lighting, campus communication, additional security cameras, building access control system and signage
- Building maintenance including restrooms and gym floors
- Renovate main entrance and classrooms for science and library use
- Additional classrooms and cafeteria space
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning
Draper Intermediate
Campus Age: 7Amount: $3.433M
- Safety and security upgrades including LED exterior lighting, campus communication, additional security cameras, building access control system and signage
- Building maintenance including restrooms
- Additional classrooms and cafeteria space
- Renovate classrooms for science and fine arts space
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning.
- Remove the need for any portables
Harrison Intermediate
Campus Age: 47Amount: $7.033M
- Safety and security upgrades including LED exterior lighting, campus communication, building access control system and signage
- Building maintenance including HVAC, exterior lighting, exterior doors, plumbing and restrooms
- Additional library, science and gym space
- Renovate library and front entrance (SEE RENDERING)
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning.
- Remove the need for any portables
Burnett Junior High
Campus Age: 39Amount: $4.035M
- Safety and security upgrades including LED exterior lighting, campus communication, fire alarm, building access control system and signage
- Building maintenance including HVAC, interior and exterior paint, exterior doors and restrooms
- Additional science lab space
- Renovate main entrance, main office and current science labs (SEE RENDERING)
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning.
Cooper Junior High
Campus Age: 8Amount: $3.079M
- Safety and security upgrades including LED exterior lighting, campus communication, additional security cameras, building access control system and signage
- Building maintenance including exterior paint, gym floors and restrooms
- Additional classrooms and cafeteria space
- Renovate main entrance, main office and current science labs
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning.
McMillan Junior High
Campus Age: 11Amount: $5.646M
- Safety and security upgrades including LED exterior lighting, campus communication, additional security cameras, building access control system and signage
- Building maintenance including exterior paint and Stucco, carpet and tile, and restrooms
- Additional classrooms and fine arts (orchestra) space
- Purchase orchestra instruments
- Renovate library and main office
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning
Wylie East
Campus Age: 7Amount: $9.650M
- Safety and security upgrades including LED exterior lighting, campus communication, additional fencing, building access control system and signage
- Purchase band instruments
- Extra-curricular building, additional classrooms for CTA (HB5) programs
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning.
Wylie High
Campus Age: 18Amount: $28.231M
- Safety and security upgrades including LED exterior lighting, campus communication, fire alarms, building access control system and signage
- Building maintenance including interior and exterior paint, roof, fencing, parking lots, carpet and tile in school and restrooms upgrades
- Replace HVAC system including air handler, boilers and chiller and controls
- Renovate main office area and kitchen
- Improvements to athletic facilities
- Additional classrooms for CTA (HB5) programs
- Renovate culinary arts space (Pirate's Cove)
- Additions and renovations to auditorium including dressing room areas, vestibule, carpeting and lighting equipment
- Additional fine arts improvements including: "Black Box" theater, dance room, band instruments, orchestra room and equipment and practice and storage space
- Upgrade campus A/V equipment, network and wireless to allow for 21st Century learning.
New Elementary School
Campus Age: Opening TBD, based on enrollmentAmount: $16.850M
- Location to be determined and will be based on growth within the district
- Construction will begin when enrollment reaches 90 percent capacity at all elementary campuses
- Will feed into Davis/McMillan and WEHS
- Will include space to house Dual Language Program
Shaffer Stadium
Campus Age: 47Amount: $900,000
- Add artificial turf to allow for more usage, reduce maintenance costs
- Repair roof and doors and update sound system
Frequently Asked Questions
How will this impact my taxes?
If passed, this proposal will not raise your school property taxes. This is possible because of several factors. First, new homes in our district are priced considerably higher than in past years providing us with higher property values. And, thanks to Wylie ISD’s history of sound financial management and fiscal responsibility, we have one of the highest credit ratings of any educational organization. These factors, combined with the strong bond market, has allowed us to refinance current bonds and pass that saving directly on to you, the taxpayer.
Does this bond address a long term solution to accommodating elementary enrollment for Dual Language
Yes. Our current campuses that support dual language are Cox, Watkins, *Smith, and Hartman Elementary. Watkins Elementary attendance zone is quickly reaching their capacity limit.
Our long term goal is to provide an east and west side elementary solution for Dual Language. Our long term solution for an east side campus will be Cox Elementary. Our proposed west side (west of Hwy. 78) solution is to include additional square footage at the new elementary campus that will accommodate 200 more students than a traditional Wylie elementary campus. This will provide a long term solution for dual language and avoid the current issue of moving the campus each time attendance boundary limits.
*DL at Smith is being phased out due to attendance zone enrollment.
Why does so much of the renovations and additions budget focus on Wylie High School?
Wylie High School is a beautiful and well maintained campus approaching its 20th year of use. That’s years of use by tens of thousands of students. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems, as well as major roofing and flooring overhauls, are needed to maintain its useful function. The proposal includes kitchen expansion and a much needed overhaul of the well-used lighting, sound, and other systems in the WHS auditorium that have become outdated and unreliable. Our goal is to provide functional equity between all campuses. This means core functions of every building should be on par with each other.
Does this bond include computer purchases?
The Wylie ISD Board of Trustees set specific standards regarding what could and couldn’t be purchased from bond funds. Only items with a useful life of more than 10 years will be considered for a proposal. Therefore, computers are not included in this bond proposal. We are focusing on the infrastructure that will allow us to grow and adopt technology as we need it.
I see buses are on the list. Do we really need them?
We do. For the past few years we have purchased three buses each year from our operating fund. Unfortunately this has not allowed us to keep up with the aging fleet. Currently, 28 of our 100 school buses are more than 10 years old. And buses, like facilities, are effected by our student growth. The additional elementary school will require new routes. While we are including the cost of new buses in this proposal, they will be purchased using short-term bonds minimizing our debt.
Why add onto campus capacity instead of building a new intermediate/junior high? A 3rd High School?
Adding onto each intermediate and junior high will save the taxpayer approximately $25,000,000 in construction costs and millions in annual operating costs. Our newer campuses were designed and built to be expanded.
Parents have expressed that they wish to remain in current feeder patterns and not be “rezoned.” Adding onto these campuses will drastically reduce changes in attendance zone boundaries now and in the future.
This also applies to the idea of a third high school. While the cost and rezoning associated with a new high school are challenging enough, based on our long-range growth predictions we will not need a third high school.
The land was purchased while Wylie ISD was in a time of extreme growth but we now have a much clearer view of what enrollment will do over the next 15-20 years.
Finally, this proposal allows for older campuses like Harrison and Burnett to undergo major renovations that will enhance the exterior appearance along with the overall functionality of the buildings.
How can I be sure funds from this bond will be used in the manner described in the proposal?
This proposal lists clearly and specifically how funds will be spent. Any “general funding” items have been removed. To see how we utilized the previous bond fund, you can review our Bond 2012 information.
Has land been purchased for a new elementary school? When will it be constructed?
No, land has not been purchased for the site of a new elementary campus. The decision to place a new elementary campus is based on demographic growth within our district boundaries.
We will begin construction on a new elementary when all campuses reach 90% capacity with a greater potential for new home construction which exceeds our current elementary capacities.
Where can I receive additional information?
A complete listing of the bond proposal including items to be included and approximate costs can be found on our website: www.wylieisd.net. Click on the 2014 Bond Proposal icon. This includes a short video explanation of the bond and other graphical breakdown of what is included.
What if I have more questions?
We welcome your questions and would be happy to speak with you and/or your group. Please contact Ian Halperin, Executive Director of Communications/Community Relations via the email link or by phone at 972-429-3019.