Frequently Asked Questions
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Questions will be added to this page as they arise. If you have a question, please submit it to fac@lisd.net.
Dec. 15, 2016 Questions:
1. Why did LISD not consider building a new football field house at Hebron?
The Board of Trustees approved the construction of field houses at each high school 2010, including Hebron. The campus administration made the decision not to designate the facility for football.
2. Are the press box values bundled to include technology costs?
Yes.
3. Marcus’s Facility is still fairly new -- if turf and tracks are failing, can’t we go to warranty you mentioned?
The turf and track are expected to last through their warranty period but will need to be replaced within the next 5 years due to life cycle wear and tear (turf life expectancy is 7-8 years). There are no current defects to either system to make a warranty claim to the manufacturer.
4. When will the Committee see the new demographic study with accurate data?
The 3rd Quarter Demographic Study is posted on the FAC webpage under ‘Presentations’.
5. How many field houses does each high school have?
Each high school has one field house. For more information, please see the Facilities Assessment Document that is provided on the District’s website.
6. Does any high school have more field houses than the others?
Again, each high school has one field house. Although there may be slight differences in size and condition due to their age, field houses are comparable. Each campus has at least two weight rooms and all have some form of an indoor workout area with Hebron having the only one that is without turf and smaller than the others, as was presented in the last meeting.
7. Why is The Colony softball Priority 1 and Hebron a Priority 2 if they have the same issues?
The Colony High School’s field is older with a smaller footprint and is lacking restrooms within a reasonable distance to serve the field. Additionally, it does not meet UIL recommendations. These issues make The Colony High School field a priority 1 item.
8. Projections take account of FED? Why drop .06 then raise back up?
The interest rate projections take into account all the current known market parameters. The Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve System in December slightly increased interest rates for the first time in a number of years. While we want to be clear that none of us know what will happen with future interest rates, we want to be transparent with our assumptions so that any interested party is able to form their own conclusions about the projections. The District’s financial advisor has provided information about the interest rate market for municipal bonds. That is the market in which the District’s bond sales would be conducted. The Texas and Lewisville ISD sales typically attract better interest rates than average due to the District’s underlying AA+ bond rating and the Texas Permanent School Fund guarantee which provides a AAA rating.
We will assume the question about the $0.06 relates to the Debt Service portion of the tax rate. With some limited exceptions, the Truth In Taxation statutes provide that a taxing jurisdiction may only levy a Debt Service tax rate needed to provide the cash required to make payments on bonds that have been approved by the voters. Due to refundings (refinancings) at lower interest rates and additional principal paid from fund balance, the Board of Trustees was able to provide the tax reduction to the public.
9. Is it possible to do a separate bond for specific priorities (i.e. special events center), or separate line item/proposition on the bond?
Yes, it is possible. The decision on how the ballot language would be structured is one that would be made by the Board of Trustees. When a similar project was included on the ballot in 2008, it was on a separate line item/proposition.
10. If we do Priority 2 for I.T., do we need to adjust payback to three years instead of five?
No, the payback period for technology items is provided at five years. The technology items include a significant amount of infrastructure items that likely have a life somewhat longer than five years. Many of these items could last up to eight years. The portion of the technology items related to student devices would be shorter. We believe that with the mix of these projected lives, the five year payback is very responsible financing in keeping with the commitment to pay off bonds consistent with the lives of the assets financed.
Nov. 17, 2016 Questions:
1. What land is still available at CCE?
There is approximately 25 acres remaining adjacent to the Career Center East, Independence Elementary, and Killian Middle School site. This land is divided by a roadway. If the question is about availability of land for an addition to CCE, there is sufficient space for an addition on the north side of the building adjacent to the existing parking lot.
2. Which school did the board agree to repair/replace with excess bond money?
At the October 17, 2016 monthly board meeting, the 20 year renovation of Old Settlers Elementary School was approved by the Board.
3. What happens to Starfish and other SPED programs currently housed at Purnell Support Center?
One option for these programs would be to place them at the renovated existing College Street Elementary School campus.
4. Do we have to adopt the priority packages in total, or can we modify the packages to better suit the FAC and community at large?
Each project presented has been packaged by the professionals based on the Facilities Assessment Document and the Demographic Report. The cost estimates have been compiled by professionals who are in those markets on a daily basis. The FAC process does not provide the means or schedule to re-price the cost estimates based on changes to the projects. The individual projects are available for either a thumbs up or a thumbs down by the FAC.
5. While on the facility tours, Principals and staff had specific needs they wanted filled. Do we have the authority to insert these specific needs into our bond package? For example, LHS Wrestling practice area is a health hazard and needs to be replaced.
There will be some specific projects regarding athletics addressed at the next FAC meeting in December.
6. LHS - Needs new Wrestling / locker room; Guest pressbox (no homeless sleep there) internet needs
Athletic facilities will be brought forward in a presentation at the next FAC meeting in December.
7. Middle School in LHS feeder pattern is full - where would those kids go?
The middle school students at Hedrick MS would most likely be served on the existing property through a construction phasing plan that would not involve them moving off-site during the construction.
8. Build Hedrick MS on current site / Use 24.6 acres at Vickery to expand to accommodate former Hedrick ES students.
Adding a classroom wing to Vickery ES to serve a portion of the Hedrick ES students could be a part of one of the available plans. However, moving all the Hedrick ES students there would create a campus too large in comparison to other LISD elementary campuses.
9. I have reservations on not rebuilding Hedrick. The kids there need a school that is close by.
We understand Hedrick is a neighborhood school. This is just an option for the Committee to consider. Kids having to ride the bus, will be on the bus for no longer than 20-25 minutes.
10. What is your estimated enrollment at new College Street?
We estimate about 600-700 students for each of three schools that would be impacted by a “new College Street.”
11. What would happen with the football field at new College Street?
The lighting and bleacher systems at the existing field do not meet current district standards. The field would either remain on the existing property or be relocated to another district facility.
12. Fine Arts / Theatre Arts - We need black box at Briarhill Middle; Need a backstage (kids outside); stage improvements / lighting, sound updates
Facilities such as black box theatres at middle schools are not supported in the the Educational Specifications document that is currently being developed. Stage improvements are done on a refresh schedule. Schools due for a refresh were addressed in the fine arts presentation.
13. How many seats are projected in the multi-use facilities?
The estimates are based on approximately 2,200 seats.
14. What year were Hebron HS and The Colony HS built? Why weren’t they built with multi-purpose facilities? Per the Templeton projections, The Colony will be over capacity by 101 kids in 2025 but Hebron will be 380 kids under capacity. Why is a multi-purpose facility needed at both but especially at Hebron? If the bond is a 5 year need and you look at 5 year projections, neither Hebron or The Colony will be over capacity. How do we justify this based on the demographics you told us to rely on?
Hebron HS was built in 1999. The Colony HS was built in 1986. We do not know the thinking that the leaders in those years had in terms of multi-purpose facilities. What we do know is that three LISD high schools have these facilities and two do not. The need is not based on the campus capacity, but the capacity to assemble entire grade levels in one area. There is currently insufficient capacity for that at these campuses. The demographic report addresses the capacity of the classroom area of the buildings.
15. What is the history of how the existing multi-purpose facilities came about, and during those discussions, what was the understanding about building something similar at the other two high schools?
The leaders at that time determined there was a need for additional meeting and competition space. At the time the design was underway for the existing structures, there was an incident at another district in the metroplex involving the crowd rushing the court after an athletic competition. That led to the decision to sink the floors to prevent such an incident. Our understanding is that the Bond Oversight Committee had discussions about some level of commitment to provide these facilities at the remaining high schools.
16. What does shared access mean?
Shared access means classroom sets of devices.
17. What would be the figure if Priority 1 changed to 4 year refresh on student devices?
Click the following link for information regarding this question.
18. What are the expectations for PreK Students regarding technology?
TEA has established technology expectations within the PreK Guidelines. The PreK Guidelines are the standards that are to be taught in all PreK classrooms in Texas. These expectations and related research are all available on the TEA website
http://tea.texas.gov/index2.aspx?id=2147495508&menu_id=2147483718
In addition to the work of TEA related to technology expectations for PreK students, the National Association for the Education of Young Children also has important resources regarding the use of technology and the need for integration in PreK programs. Additional information can be found on their website http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/PS_technology_WEB.pdf
Examples of effective technology integration practices can be found at http://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-and-young-children/preschoolers-and-kindergartners
19. When iPads were first presented, it was on a 3 year refresh - what happened to 3 years?
The 3 year refresh cycle was not sustainable with available financial resources.
20. What does an increase in mobile devices in Pk-3 mean?
Option 2 shows an increase of mobile devices for students in Pk-3. This option is intended to increase classroom sets of technology available while students are in the classroom.
The increase of student mobile devices in Grades K-3 would help support the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iFHdZQ9qSs-ZwEw94PJQgQ7ikERT_KtPiQxgUFxpEmI/edit?usp=sharing
The increase of student mobile devices in PreK would help support the Technology Domain of the PreK Guidelines established by the Texas Education Agency
http://tea.texas.gov/index2.aspx?id=2147495508&menu_id=2147483718
21. Can we get access to line item breakdowns for the proposed priorities, especially technology? Some of us like to wade through the minutia of details, especially when deciding how to spend hundreds of millions of community dollars.
Line item breakdowns do not yet exist for the construction projects. The estimates are primarily based on costs per square foot for the type of facility under consideration. The line item details would be developed during the programming, schematic design, and design development phases of the projects. The information on costs per square foot has been provided in the attachments made available to the FAC. These are posted on the FAC website.
For technology, further breakdown can be found by accessing this pdf (click the following link):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8GUljK7pk2OMVBJY190eWttUk0/view?usp=sharing
22. When are we going to get access to the full demographics?
The full demographic report was provided to the Committee at the first meeting on September 8, 2016. The entire powerpoint presentation from that evening is posted on the FAC website. The demographic report is found on pages 26 through 47 of that presentation.
The website can be found at www.lisd.net - then click on About Us, Facilities Advisory Committee, Presentations.
23. If the FAC recommends NOT rebuilding Hedrick ES, will there be a need in a few years to build another elementary school, or is the area predicted to continue to have the enrollment capacity?
We have examined a variety of possible scenarios of campus capacity should the committee recommend not rebuilding Hedrick ES. While we have not decided what exactly the re-zoning would be, I can tell you the area will continue to have the capacity.
To examine the possible impact of the Hedrick ES decision on the surrounding areas, a zone of student enrollment was created around the campuses, extending on all sides, and included campuses that may or may not receive Hedrick ES students if the decision was made to close that campus. The student population load of that area currently is approximately 5200 students (K-5th grade). That same area is projected to have just over 5000 students during the 2020-21 school year and just under 5200 students during the 2024-25 school year. This particular area of the district appears to be rather stable in projected student enrollment over these years. Additionally, the proposed bond projects list does include an option for an elementary addition/wing should that be needed on a campus.
Oct. 20, 2016 Questions:
1. Why is capacity a Priority 2?
Capacity is a part of the definition listed for Priority 1 items.
2. At what point does capacity, a Priority 2, fall into a safety concern and change to a Priority 1?
Capacity is a part of the definition listed for Priority 1 items. Capacity limits the number of students that can assemble in a given space. We are unaware of any situations where that has become a safety issue. Once a safe capacity is reached, no more occupants should be allowed in a space.
3. Is LISD determining what projects we choose/reject based on Facility Assessment?
The projects listed for the FAC’s consideration are all based on the needs identified in the Facility Assessment document and projects based on enrollment growth as projected in the demographic report.
4. What would be eliminated in Priority 3?
The FAC will consider all projects, regardless of Priority. The projects to be eliminated will be totally at the discretion of the FAC, regardless of Priority.
5. How far into the future does the 20 year renovations get us down the road? 10 year - 20 year?
The planning window for the current project listing is 5 years. That means that projects projected to be needed within the 5 year planning window are included.
With regard to the individual campus undergoing a 20 year renovation, that campus would be good for another 20 years. However, there are other campuses that will be due for a 20 year renovation after the 5 year planning window currently being considered. Projects outside the 5 year planning window are not included in the project listing.
6. How long will the money projected last before we will ask the community for more money?
The current planning window is 5 years. That means that needs projected to arise during the 5 year planning window are included. The District is committed to repayment of any bonds over a time period consistent with the life of the asset acquired with bond funds. Based on the planning window, we anticipate that it would be at least 5 years before a subsequent bond proposal would be needed.
7. What pre-existing LISD Leadership and Board of Trustees bias exists as to keeping the Priority 1, 2, or 3 as presented the same?
The FAC is encouraged to change the priorities of projects as it deems appropriate. Although we recognize that all individuals have some bias, a concerted effort has been made to identify the proposed projects based on objective data. The intent of the process is to obtain the input of the FAC, which is reflective of the community we serve.
8. Is there a pre-existing bias of the LISD Leadership or Board of Trustees that the Committee should adhere to as it relates to where the total percentage of the bond should be allocated by zone or by existing building or building brand new?
The charge from the Board of Trustees to the Administration has been to identify needs for proposed projects based on objective data from the Facilities Assessment. Based on that data, the projects with the greatest need have been included in the proposed project list. Geographic location and percentage of the project costs for a given item have not been considerations. The analysis of renovating an existing building vs building a new building is based on the ratio of the renovation costs to the cost of new construction along with the feasibility of bringing an old structure up to today’s standards for accessibility, life safety systems, and current instructional standards.
9. Why are HVAC, roofs and technology put into the debt service fund instead of the general fund? Isn’t it a maintenance of our buildings; should we be taking out a “mortgage” as a repair?
Much like a homeowner sometimes needs a home improvement loan for large capital items that have lengthy expected useful lives, the District has a similar situation. The magnitude of the costs associated with commercial HVAC systems, roofs, and technology on the scale needed to operate the District exceeds the capacity of the General Fund. The General Fund revenues are limited by the state funding system established by the Legislature. Therefore, responsible bond financing becomes the primary option for funding these large capital expenditure needs. The District is committed to being fiscally responsible and repaying any bonds consistent with the expected useful life of assets acquired with bond funds. The District has consistently repaid its bonds over a 20 year period or less, saving the taxpayers millions of dollars in interest costs.
10. Do you get multiple cost quotes or just use one vendor?
The estimated construction project costs have been compiled using two different architect firms that have cross checked the numbers. They each have access to significant data on the construction market. They are involved in that arena on a day to day basis. The cost estimates for technology items are based on state contract pricing for the current deployment model. In both the construction and technology scenarios, when a purchase is made, the items are procured using a competitive process as outlined in state law.
11. Where can we find the building codes for each school? Or is it the City codes?
The building codes are administered by the various City jurisdictions within LISD. The respective City inspects the buildings for code compliance. The State also inspects school buildings for accessibility. Since a Certificate of Occupancy is not granted until the code and accessibility requirements are met, all LISD buildings were compliant with the building code in effect at the time the building was placed in service.
12. Are the codes for grandfathered schools available?
The District does not maintain a database of prior building codes. Our focus is on the current codes and future building code developments. The District relies on professionals such as architects and engineers when questions arise about a prior building code.
13. Wouldn’t it be cheaper to upgrade all high school phases when you are already there?
The scale of projects at high schools is so significant that phasing is necessary. The costs of providing ongoing instructional needs for students displaced by construction would offset cost efficiencies of a single large project on the entire campus. The negative impact to the instructional environment of a single large project on the entire campus would also be significant.
14. How recent are the dollar estimates? How long honored? If approved, will get rebid or updates?
The cost estimates are not commitments from vendors. They are cost estimates obtained through professional architects and state contract pricing. All the cost estimates are based on 2016 dollars. Since this is a 5 year planning window, inflation has been factored into the construction costs based on the projected year a project is needed. A presentation on the inflation assumptions used is planned for the next meeting. Technology pricing is also based on 2016 cost estimates from state contract pricing. Inflation has not been applied to the technology cost estimates. In both construction and technology projects, the actual procurement will be based on a competitive process independent of the cost estimates based on State Law.
15. What is purpose of e-portfolio? It takes a lot of storage $ - and no college I know of wants to see their drawing from Kinder-5th.
The purpose of an ePortfolio is related to digital citizenship and helping students create a positive digital footprint. As student’s progress through school they will be able to remove learning artifacts and add new. The artifacts used for the ePortfolio and the ePortfolio itself are stored in Google’s G-Suite and the storage and web sites are free for schools.
The Technology Application Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills expect that students will use creative thinking and innovative processes to construct knowledge and develop products. Students communicate and collaborate both locally and globally to reinforce and promote learning. Research and information fluency includes the acquisition and evaluation of digital content. Students develop critical-thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills by collecting, analyzing, and reporting digital information. Students practice digital citizenship by behaving responsibly while using technology tools and resources. Through the study of technology operations and concepts, students learn technology related terms, concepts, and data input strategies.
16. Does the district have plans for more Virtual Learning Academies? (very expense - $700 for both semesters) Can we drive down the COST? This is the “real” question.
LISD will continue to provide online offerings through our VLA (Virtual Learning Academy). The $700 cost is for courses taken through TxVSN through the State.
17. Is the technology training that is offered to teachers mandatory or just simply offered as an option?
Professional learning days that occur throughout the year embed a focus on technology. Teachers other than those with a lifetime certification are required to obtain professional development hours in order to renew their teaching certification. The District provides that training so that teachers do not need to obtain that training at their own expense.
18. Portables - Are they behind locked gates?
All portables are not behind locked gates. The district does provide keyless entry into the buildings closest to the portables for quick access and protocols are in place to keep the portable building doors shut and locked.
19. My 2 girls are at HVE. The reno is great, but I would like to know why the lock down doors were not working for over 4-5 weeks. Could this happen again at other facilities being updated?
The 20 year renovation at Highland Village Elementary occurred in the summer of 2016. At the last minute, a City inspector required some old unused conduit to be removed from the above tile ceiling space. This removal was not anticipated in the scope of work. The last minute removal of that conduit caused some damage to the new wiring for the remote control door switches. The electrical contractor worked in the evenings and on weekends to correct the issue. At no time was the safety of students compromised. The doors were locked during the school day. Although the receptionist was inconvenienced in that she needed to get up from her seat and allow people to enter the building, the doors remained locked. Although our goal is to anticipate everything that could happen in a construction project, surprises of this are sometime unavoidable. However, we will not compromise student safety.
20. Why iPads instead of laptops? Why elementary? Why not secondary with laptops?
iPads are the current platform the district is using and what was used in the costing model. Teacher input indicates that an iPad combined with a keyboard is a preferred platform. The iPads are used at the elementary level for accessing digital resources, project based learning, research, writing, using Google Classroom, etc.
21. Where does the $40 insurance cost go to on iPads?
The insurance fee is used to repair or replace lost and damaged iPads as well as replace defective accessories once the warranty period has expired.
22. What devices are we looking to move to?
The district has teacher research teams in place and we have been evaluating devices from Apple, Google, and Microsoft. No decision has been made at this time to switch platforms.
23. What happens to devices after EOL? (end of life)
At the End of Life, LISD will secure competitive pricing from asset recovery companies to secure the best residual value for End of Life devices.
24. Is the technology advancement driving this increase in usage? Because our population isn’t booming.
Yes. LISD is using more technology in the areas of instructional use, operational use, and for safety and security use.
25. Can we spend more time on Technology Q&A?
Time for additional discussion and Q&A for all projects is built into the meeting schedule during the time the FAC will be deliberating on which projects to include and which to exclude.
26. Playgrounds - PTA? 14 elementaries need - all/none? 20 year renos. Age of schools, capacity.
Some PTA’s might be capable of providing a playground, others are not. The position of LISD is that the District should provide the needed items for a school and that organizations such as PTA’s can provide supplementary items.
Each of the 14 elementary schools listed on the proposed project list for 20 year renovation will arrive at the 20 year mark during the 5 year planning window. The year built and age of each school is listed in the Facility Assessment document. The optimal capacity of each school is listed in the demographic report provided at the first meeting. The elementary schools begin on page 21 of the PPT from the 9/8/2016 meeting.
27. What about furniture? If there is a campus that just needs new furniture, can that be included in consideration for the bond?
We have included furniture in the cost estimates for the 20 year renovation projects and new campus construction. Replacement furniture for other campuses has not been included in the proposed project list. Our plan is to provide for that need through the General Fund.
28. Is this money getting everyone to equal level of security?
We believe that the proposed projects will significantly improve the security at the campuses involved. All campuses are safe for students.
29. Is there space at College Street to make it large enough for the full community?
More information will be provided on College Street Elementary at the next meeting.
30. Define “possible academies”
Academies can be defined as schools of choice with special programs. Examples may include schools with a STEM emphasis or a campus with an emphasis on Dual Credit options for students to earn 50+ college credits while still in high school. While we have not yet determined the first academies to open, we do anticipate the next couple of years to see quite a bit of growth in this area. These academies would not require new buildings, as they will likely be school-within-a-school opportunities, renovations may be necessary depending on the program(s) selected.
31. For Hedrick ES, can district check into property for sale at Old Orchard and Bellair. Would prefer an elementary there over a convenience store, gas station or donut store. If current Hedrick footprint does not support 2 schools, can this property be considered for a location for it?
More information on Hedrick Elementary School and Hedrick Middle School will be provided at the next meeting.
32. Regarding academies, would they be part of another school and would students at that school have priority access to those academies?
We are currently looking at a school-within-a-school setting with students from both that campus as well as the opportunity for students to transfer in for that opportunity. No specific criteria for student selection has been discussed as of yet.
33. Are we encouraging Genius Hour across grades, campuses, etc?
Campuses have flexibility in creating ways that students are provided opportunities to explore, research, create, and innovate. Genius hour is one example of how some campuses are providing opportunities for developing these type of skills expected by the Technology Application TEKS. Maker spaces and innovation labs in the libraries are other examples of these types of opportunities.
34. What LISD philosophies should we keep in mind 6A vs 5A, magnet, etc., when making decisions?
Lewisville ISD does not have a position on a desire to control enrollment based on UIL classification, and being 6A or 5A would not impact a magnet decision.
35. What is the plan for Hedrick?
More information on Hedrick Middle School and Hedrick Elementary School will be provided at the next meeting.
36. Would like to add ADA access doors for entry and bathrooms (handicap) in all schools.
All schools are compliant with ADA standards in effect at the time they were placed in service. As they arise, the District makes accommodations for needs of individual students that go beyond the accommodation required by law.
37. LISDOLA ADA (my son couldn’t go to one year due to walking - No wheelchair accessibility.
The proposed LISDOLA projects would include ADA access for that facility.
38. Are students supposed to have Internet access anywhere on iPad because my kids are locked out when not in school?
No. While the iPads are able to connect to other networks outside of LISD, LISD does not provide Internet access to iPads when outside of the District.
39. Would professional learning not be part of the day-to-day operations and not capital?
Professional learning is part of General Fund day-to-day expenditures. No Professional learning expenditures are included in any of the proposed projects for consideration. The Technology presentation included examples of professional learning simply to illustrate the training that teachers undergo on how to utilize technology in today’s instructional environment.
Sept. 8, 2016 Questions:
1. How does the district manage the M&O impact of I&S/Bond Facilities?
The district provides for operating costs of new facilities through the M&O or General Fund budget. As student enrollment increases, new students generate additional funding. Projections of new operating costs must be prepared and analyzed as part of the recommendation to the Board of Trustees to build a new facility. For renovation or replacement of existing facilities, the operating costs are often less after renovation due to increased efficiencies in the building systems.
2. If a bond fails to pass, where can a school district get money to build needed facilities?
There are very limited sources for funding for school buildings when a bond proposition fails. Districts can use fund balance or savings from its General Fund. However, the fund balance is typically insufficient to provide the dollars needed to provide quality school buildings. Much like home budgets, long term financing is needed to fund building construction and extensive renovations.
3. Does the new attendance policy impact the WADA? (by minute vs. by day)
House Bill 2610 provides that “each district must operate so that the district provides for at least 75,600 minutes of instruction, including intermissions and recesses, for students.” This change does not typically impact funding. The required number of days was simply converted to a required number of minutes. This does not change the basic system in which districts receive funding when students attend school and they do not receive funding when students are absent.
4. Where is the land that we have already acquired (overlay on these maps)?
