Crosby ISD plans to use 2017 bonds to meet dire facility needs

CROSBY – The Board of Trustees of Crosby ISD met with Steven Doorman of Casey Sledge, attorney’s and the school’s bond consultant Doug DeWitt and authorized the selling of the bond that passed voters in 2017 for $109.5 M. with some changes to address current needs at a special meeting called for August 5.

The bonds were separated into two phases and a third was eliminated. Phase one was to include the Maintenance and Operations Budget Reimbursement for the years 2016 – 2018 for $11,125,431 and 2017- 2018 for $2,060,881. The bond would buy buses for $835,000. Upgrades to Barrett Elementary School and Newport Elementary School comes in at $835,000. A New Middle School with 6th Grade and site improvements for the E5 and middle school is scheduled to cost $38,099,960.

Crosby High School will add new wings for $20,378,802. Crosby Elementary School and Crosby High School are to get Emergency Access Drives or roadways for $877,123. The cost of converting Crosby Kindergarten Campus to Pre-Kindergarten through 5th Grade and Drew Elementary School and Crosby Elementary School for Pre-Kindergarten with special facilities to accommodate Drew Elementary, Crosby Elementary and Crosby Middle School is $1,844,571.

The total of the entire first phase is $78,845,613. Phase two is the building of a new elementary school for $30,654,387.

So, the back parking lot for Crosby High, the Olympic Pool, conversion of operations center and the Crosby Elementary Dressing Area converted to Maintenance and Warehouse, conversion of the old Admin. building into a DAEP or naughty school, a new JROTC Obstacle Course and new stadium parking goes away for now subject to a new bond.

Facts impelling these adjustments include that the new growth factor is 2.23% and the district grew about $180 M. this year with no stopping in site. Elementary is about 94% full currently.

Deliberations and questions went on at length and no action was taken on the purchase of 75.74 acres of land located on Foley Road with possible option rights for an adjacent 53-acre tract of land.