In light of the discussion surrounding the proposed bond issuance in the Highland Park Independent School District, I am writing to set forth a tangible alternative plan—call it the Alternate Plan—which builds upon the excellent work and recommendations of the Facilities Advisory Committee (FAC).
By way of introduction, my wife Lori and I moved to the district in 1996 and have children ages 12, 9, 7, and 4. They are all attending schools in the district, and all are progressing very nicely. I was last year’s Bradfield Dads Club president and am in my third year serving on the HPISD Education Foundation. My wife has served countless volunteer positions as well. e love the district, our teachers, the students, and our community.
The Alternate Plan is based in no way on the senseless fears surrounding the possibility of Section 8 housing. Also, the Alternate Plan fully supports the FAC’s recommendations regarding the amounts and uses of dollars proposed for the high school and middle school as well as those dollars dedicated to general purposes. Where the Alternate Plan varies from the FAC proposal is in execution at the elementary school level.
We fully support moving forward with the land purchase and construction of the fifth elementary school. We need the capacity. However, the Alternate Plan stops with the addition of Elementary Five. No more must be done now at the elementary-school level. Thus, the community defers raising and spending more than $105 million to raze and reconstruct three elementary schools and to remodel a fourth until a point in time where it is certain doing so is beneficial.
Supporters of the proposed bond suggest that instruction and learning will improve in new elementary buildings—classrooms will be larger and reconfigured and the overall environment is said to be decidedly enhanced with new design and technology. Maybe this is the case. The Alternate Plan responds, “Prove it,” giving us all a chance for several years to test-drive these theories and see for ourselves. If it’s true that the education simply is better in the new building, one would expect to see a decided difference in students when they convene at the middle school campus, either in test scores or in educational aptitude: “Not certain if this student went to Bradfield, Hyer, UP, or Armstrong, but that student over there definitely went to Elementary Five.” And provided this is the case, we’ll have the chance then to knock down the three proposed buildings and build new ones.
While we’re testing the promoted theories, we’re also keeping $105 million in our neighborhood’s pockets. Remember, at the elementary school level, the FAC bond really isn’t about capacity—it is seemingly about instructional environment. Do the math as the FAC states it.
Current capacity at the four existing elementaries: 2,644
Capacity of Elementary Five: 770
Total new capacity by just adding Elementary Five: 3,414
Under the FAC bond, we will spend at least $105 million in a massive building campaign, and the total elementary capacity across four schools after spending that large sum will increase by only 186 students to 3,600. Many of us in the community feel the FAC bond is far-reaching, and for Lori and me, this is where it passes that point. Granted, the existing schools aren’t perfect. Surely, Allen, ESD, and Southlake have more modern facilities. That’s okay, especially if we are able to make certain as a result that we have the best value in quality for our children and cost for our community.
In summary, the Alternate Plan is as follows. Vote NO to the proposed bond. Tell the trustees to maintain the land contract we have in place on the Northway Christian land site and re-issue a bond package for vote in May of 2016 that revises the FAC plan such that we do not touch existing elementary buildings. Subsequently, vote YES for the revised bond next May, do all your work at the middle and high schools, build your fifth elementary school, redraw your elementary boundaries, monitor closely for five years where you might need more seats, and measure the performance of Elementary Five relative to the other four. Doing this gives us the opportunity to act with better information later, and it decreases the amount of today’s bond by at least $105 million.
