CISD looks at bond election as expansion continues
New high school in Oak Ridge feeder likely part of plan for 2015 referendum
The Conroe Independent School District is beginning discussions to plan a bond referendumin November 2015.
Superintendent Don Stockton said the district will begin planning in full in about six months, when a steering committee is formed.
“We’ll do a needs assessment and come up with recommendations,” he said. “It will all be centered on student growth.”
Current enrollment is close to 50,000. The student population has been increasing at about the same rate — between 1,100 to 1,200 students — annually for the past fewyears.
Stockton said demographers are projecting more of the same for the next two to three years.
In the past year, CISD opened two campuses — Ann K. Snyder Elementary and John V. Peet Junior High. The Conroe High Ninth Grade campus also was remodeled.
Two new schools will open in the 2014-15 school year — Charlie L. Patterson Elementary and Jean E. Steward Elementary. Both are in the Conroe High School feeder zone.
Patterson Elementary, which will serve pupils in kindergarten through fourth grade, is at 640 Beach Airport Road in Conroe. Stewart Elementary will serve pupils in kindergarten through sixth grade at 680 Fish Creek Thoroughfare in Montgomery.
The last bonds were passed in 2004 and 2008— and focused not only on growth but also on maintenance and repairs.
“We built new schools, but we also renovated every existing school in some way,” Stockton said.
He said the past bonds have helped the district stay strong — even during the recession and state budget cuts.
“We’re in a good position,” Stockton said. “That’s why we were able to go from 2008 to 2015 on the last bond.”
Now it’s time to add space to accommodate the growing stu- dent population, he said.
“We know we’re going to need more classroom space,” he said.
Stockton added that a new high school will definitely be needed.
He explained that the Oak Ridge feeder is where most of the increase in student population is occurring — and said that land for the future high school will be needed in the southeast part of the district.
“That’s an area that’s growing very rapidly,” he said.
Exxon Mobil Corp. is build---
ing a new complex just west of Interstate 45 and the Hardy Toll Road that will house 10,000 employees. The company’s new corporate home will be located within the masterplanned community of Springwoods Village. The residential component of the community could have asmany as 15,000residents and a workforce reaching as high as 50,000.
The Rayford Road Civic Association has invited Stockton to speak at its next meeting to address the population expansion in the neighborhood.
The event, open to the public, will be held at 6:30 p.m. July 10, at the Spring Creek Nature Center, 1300 Riley Fuzzel Road, in Spring.
“The purpose of this discussion is for Dr. Stockton to give a State of the Union address for Conroe ISD,” Paul Cote, president of the organization, said.
He said that area residents will have a chance to meet Stockton and ask questions about the district.
“There are a lot of new residents that moved into this area over the last five years,” Cote said. “This gives them the opportunity to spend the evening learning about the school district.”
The Rayford Road Civic Association formed last year to represent the collective interests of residents on the east side of Interstate 45.
“Our area for the past 10 years has added 800 homes a year,” Cote said. “It’s not hard to see that growth is here. And I think we’ll see it increase.”
The association works to keep residents apprised of development inthe area.
“We need to inform people about the different government entities in the area, andthe school district is a big one,” Cote said.
Conroe ISD staff will continue to study demographics in the area in preparations for the bond.
The district also plans to begin looking for members of the bond steering committee.
“We’ll involve community members, along with district employees,” Stockton said. “We want the community input. We want their feedback. We want them to be involved in this process.”