2022 Bond

The bond election process began in 2020 with the formation of a Bond Steering Committee (BSC), which was created to study the needs of the district with a focus on Fredericksburg Middle School. The 27-member committee was made up of a diverse group of parents, staff, community leaders, and residents both new to Fredericksburg and those who were born and raised in the Fredericksburg ISD (FISD). 

The BSC toured and analyzed current conditions at Fredericksburg Middle School, heard from district staff working in the building, and reviewed a facility assessment conducted by Huckabee Architects. Following months of review, discussion, and consideration, the BSC presented its recommendationsto the FISD Board on December 14, 2020. The BSC recommended that the Board call for a bond election that would include the construction of a new middle school on a new site, and requested the formation of another committee to determine a use for the current middle school campus.

The Board of Trustees decided to wait on calling a bond election due to other factors in the district, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the search for a new superintendent, and the Board’s desire to do more research and make  informed decisions with community input. Between the BSC’s recommendation on December 14, 2020 and the Board’s vote to call a bond election at their February 14, 2022 meeting, FISD 

• Purchased land for the new middle school on Friendship Lane
• Developed a conceptual site plan and design for the new middle school
• Prioritized and priced all capital improvement needs in FISD
• Hired LAN Inc., a project management firm, to oversee and confirm cost estimates and projections

Based on the recommendations from the BSC and another year of working with FISD administration and staff to refine the project list, the FISD Board of Trustees voted to call for an $82 million bond election that will go before voters on Saturday, May 7, 2022. The bond proposition will appear on the ballot as a single proposition. 

If approved by voters, this bond proposition is not anticipated to result in an increase to the district tax rate. 

FISD Citizens Advisory Committee for Educational Facilities

Goal of the Citizens Advisory Committee

The goal of the Citizens Advisory Committee is to involve constituents of Fredericksburg Independent School District (FISD) in evaluating the need for renovated or new facilities for the purpose of supporting quality educational facilities for a middle school campus and other district wide facilities.     

Purpose of the Citizens Advisory Committee

The purpose of the Citizens Advisory Committee is to provide facility and equipment recommendations to FISD Board of Trustees after having studied current facilities, educational programs, student population trends associated with the school district, and other data relevant to providing quality educational programs for all students. 

Charges to the Committee

The Citizens Advisory Committee represents all stakeholders of Fredericksburg Independent School District and is asked to provide meaningful information to the district by developing recommendations that: 

• Considers the educational needs of all students;
• Provides an adequate and appropriate learning environment;
• Is fiscally sound;
• Reflects community values and perceptions of need;
• Includes recommended solutions for aging facilities and program needs;
• Includes recommended solutions for new facilities needed to accommodate future student population growth.
• Are based on current, relevant data and best practices;
• Adheres to law and policy that govern school construction and bond issue requirements; and
• To the extent possible, provides the school district with recommendations that reflect the support of registered voters as measured by a statistically valid community survey. 

 Parameters for the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC)

• The Citizens Advisory Committee will be comprised of individuals from the community who represent the diversity and complex interests within FISD and aided by district staff members serving as information providers for the committee.
• Recommendations to the board will be within the allowable financial model established by the Board of Trustees for bond debt service and future anticipated bond schedules.
• Significant recommendations for renovating existing facilities and/or building new facilities will require a source of funding that is only available with a voter supported bond issue.
• If a bond issue is recommended, it should be fiscally conservative, emphasizing cost effective recommended solutions.
• The CAC recommendation(s) should address immediate and future facility needs of the school district to the extent members feel are financially prudent.
• The Citizens Advisory Committee will have access to data and resources provided by FISD in order to develop appropriate facility recommendations.
• The CAC recognizes that the committee’s role is to provide recommendations to the Board of Trustees of Fredericksburg ISD and that the Board of Trustees will determine the structure and content of any potential bond issue.
• The Citizens Advisory Committee agrees to communicate progress and submit information requests to the school district in a timely fashion and provide regular updates to Fredericksburg ISD and community stakeholders.
• The CAC will submit recommendations to FISD early enough for the school district to study the recommendations and to legally call an election if a bond issue is appropriate.