District plans to build 2 schools

Area growth led to bond election for most pressing needs for Dickinson ISD

Expanding business and housing markets in Dickinson have created significant growth, bringing about 4,000 students to the school district during the past decade.

The Dickinson school district is adding more campuses to accommodate the growth.

“The district grew by almost 56 percent from 6,256 students in the 2002-03 school year to 9,746 students in the 2012-13 school year,” said Tammy Dowdy, district director of communications. “Projections are that we will exceed 10,000 students at the beginning of the school year in August.”

Voters approved a $56 million bond proposal on May 10 calling for the construction of two new campuses, Elementary No. 7 and Middle School No, 3. District officials are considering a “mini-education village” design option in which the elementary and middle school will share a cafeteria and common areas.

“These two schools are what we believe are our most pressing needs,” Dowdy said. “We simply have to have the space for the students.”

The district is tentatively planning to build the schools on district-owned land off Interstate 45 near FM517 and Calder Road. The location would be home to an approximately 105,000square foot elementary school and an approximately 115,000 square foot middle school.

“Over the next few months, district administrators will be

working with architects to design the campuses,” Dowdy said. “Board approval is needed before we can start the bidding process. Construction will most likely begin at the end of this year.”

The project is scheduled to be completed in August 2016.

The bond-package raises the tax rate by 3 cents from $1.54 per $100 of valuation to $1.57.

The owner of a $100,000 home will pay an extra $33 a year.

Without the new elementary school, four of the district’s six elementary campuses will be above capacity by 2016.

The district’s two middle school campuses are currently over capacity, said Vicki Mims, Dickinson ISD superintendent.

A demographic study recently completed by the district projected that elementary school and middle school enrollment will increase by several hundred students during the next two years, she said.

“Wewill inevitably need another junior high and highschool,” Mims said.

“We already own land for a new high school. We currently have portable buildings on some of our campuses which help with the student increase.”

Many of the fastest growing neighborhoods are in the west side of the district.

The Bay Colony subdivisions around Calder Road are adding homes as well as the Lago Mar subdivision near Tanger Outlets, Dowdy said.

“Dickinson ISD is larger than people realize,” she said. “Our district covers 61 square miles and is the fastest growing school district in Galveston County.”

The district stretches from Highway 96 by Tuscan Lakes south to Gulf Greyhound Park and from Galveston Bay to Cemetery Road including the new communities in the Bay Colony and Calder Road area.

Preparing for potential growth can be tricky, Mims said.

Facilities and staff must be in place to handle the increase of students.

However, the process of building a new campus takes two to three years from initial proposals to completion.

“Dickinson ISD has been extremely proactive in looking forward and preparing for the expected growth,” said Darrell Carney, a member of the Dickinson ISD facility task force and president of the Dickinson Economic Development Corp.

“Improving and renovating our facilities is a continuous process.”

Taxpayers approved four facility bond issues in the last 13 years including an $85 million bondin 2005 and a $107.5 million bondin 2007 that funded construction for several new and existing buildings on campuses district wide.

“We are evaluating our needs every year,” Dowdy said.

“As more students enroll, we have to work to find away to have space for them.”