Mustang Schools to take $180 million bond to voters Feb. 14
—The 13th annual Daddy Daughter Dance was held at the Dale Robertson Center, a tradition that allowed girls to dress up and enjoy an evening with their fathers.
The Saturday event also featured a dance contest.
A $180 million bond proposal will go to Mustang voters on Feb. 14. Passage of the bond election would make it possible to build new elementary, intermediate and middle schools as well as a performing arts center at Mustang High School.
The district’s longrange planning committee has been meeting for two years to identify needs of the district and align the needs with bond funds available. The committee included parents, community members and administrators.
Chad Schroeder, Mustang school board member, has been part of the committee.
“There were more than $400 million in projects brought to the committee or proposed by it,” Schroeder said.
“The committee worked diligently to distill that list of projects into a list of needs that the bonding capacity would allow while keeping taxes steady. This bond issue, if passed, will keep the district moving in the right direction. We can look ahead and provide for our student population, protect class sizes as much as possible and provide opportunities from the performing arts center to increased security and enhanced technology.”
Superintendent Sean McDaniel said this is the largest bond issue the district has requested.
“Mustang Public Schools has been on such a path of incredible growth for years, the district’s increased net assessed valuation has made it possible to take this bond proposal to the voters with little to no impact on taxes,” McDaniel said.
Thanks to passage of the 2012 bond proposal, Mustang Schools opened two intermediate schools in 2013, which pulled fifth grade from elementary schools and sixth grade from the two middle schools. A seventh elementary school opened in 2014. Even with the opening of three schools in the past three years, four schools on the north side of the district are again at 91 percent capacity or above.
“Mustang Schools grows by an average of 3.2 percent annually,” McDaniel said. “Although we are in good shape this year, we will have multiple buildings over capacity by the time new buildings can be constructed and opened.”
The bond issue would include a science academy at Mustang High School, eight additional classrooms and a freshman cafeteria/commons. New construction at the high school will include safe rooms built to FEMA standards. Mustang High School is one of the largest in the state with more than 2,900 students in grades 9-12. The school is currently at 83 percent capacity.
One of the larger projects is a performing arts center. The current auditorium, choir room and theater rooms were built in 1971, when Mustang was a 3A school. This year there are more than 1,400 students in fine arts in grades 9-12 counting each student only once. Many are in more than one fine arts program.
“We have simply outgrown the facility,” McDaniel said. “The stage is too small for any of our fine arts programs. Our band directors don’t even try to have a sixthgrade band concert in the auditorium. There isn’t enough room for the students or the parents in the audience.”
Money is also earmarked for heating and air conditioning.
Other items are the relocation of the warehouse and transportation department, buses, technology, safety and security enhancements, a band room for Canyon Ridge Intermediate, a marching band practice field, tennis courts, a wrestling practice room, land, and an educational services and administrative center.
Registered voters can cast their ballots between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. For more information, go to www.mustangps.org.