Since the first of April, I have had the privilege of working with more than 50 BISD community members in an extensive study of facility needs across the district. With half of our campuses being 50 years old or older, the Committee was faced with some difficult decisions. They too have come to realize that in order for BISD to move forward in providing a quality education for our children we, as a community, must understand the threat BISD faces if nothing is done to these facilities.

In the 1950s, when many of our elementary campuses were built, there was no air conditioning, no restriction on the number of students in each classroom, no computers, no science labs, no full-day kindergarten, no prekindergarten, no special needs students on the regular campuses, and no worries about campus security. Also, there was no concern for aging plumbing, electrical inadequacies/failures, aging roofs or concerns for energy efficiencies.

Today, the state mandates 22 students to one teacher in fourth grade and below, which now includes full-day kindergarten and programs for three- and four-year-old students; elementary students needing to have 40 percent hands-on experience in science labs; special needs students, many of which require special accommodations, are now on each campus and are being mainstreamed in regular education classrooms; and educational material/resources becoming more technology-driven each year. These are just a few of the state-mandated changes happening at the elementary level that cause strain on our aging facilities. The mandates at the middle at high school level are equally as overwhelming and straining on our facilities.

The Bond Planning Committee has been focusing on:

• Additional safety and security measures on every campus;
• Science lab renovations, expansions, and where necessary, additions;
• Renovations on every campus, which include items such as plumbing, HVAC, roofing, and electrical needs;
• Technology to support education in the classroom; and
• Rebuilding one middle school and two elementary schools.

I encourage you to visit with any member of the Bond Planning Committee. I feel confident they will tell you that what they identified is critical to the continued educational success of our students. To do nothing means we fail our students, our parents, and our communities.