Questions and answers

Prsrt Std
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
FORT WORTH, TX
PERMIT NO. 3148
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
Keller Independent School District
350 Keller Parkway
Keller, TX 76248
817-744-1000
Frequently Asked
Questions and Answers
How can I find out all the
details about all aspects of
the bond?
Keller ISD’s Board of
Trustees recently called
a bond election for this
November. The 2008 KISD
Bond Package includes
$167,940,000 in new
facilities, renovations,
expansions, and added
infrastructure to
support a school district
that remains one of
the fastest growing
in the State of Texas.
This brochure contains
important information
about the package.
Additional information
can be found online at
www.KellerISD.net which
will be continually
updated until the Nov. 4,
2008 election.
Keller ISD’s Web site (www.kellerisd.net) has
a page devoted entirely to the 2008 Bond
Election. There you can find information on
how the sale of bonds would affect your taxes
and details about each of the bond projects.
In addition, Keller ISD will offer a number
of community forums in which residents will
be able to address their concerns to district
administrators and the Board of Trustees
and also ask any questions they may have.
Visit the district’s Web site for a full schedule
of such events. Keller Schools TV will also
be featuring a special Bond edition of Ask
Dr. V. If you have any additional questions,
you can send them to BondQuestions@
KellerISD.net.
Why are our school tax rates
so high?
Depending on elections in the other 22
public school districts in Tarrant County,
Keller ISD’s tax rate will likely remain among
the median of neighboring school districts
should the bond package pass. Approval
of the bond package would result in a
$.0875 increase in KISD’s debt service tax
rate, making the combined tax rate $1.49
per $100 appraised home value. In 2005,
the district’s combined tax rate was $1.71,
meaning that with the 2008 bond, the rate
would remain $.22 less than in previous
years.
Why are we just buying the
land for Elementary School
No. 23 and not financing
construction?
The Citizen’s Bond Advisory Committee
was tasked with reducing as much as
possible from the original recommendation
from KISD administrators. After studying
enrollment projections and weighing the
options, the committee felt the construction
of Elementary No. 23 could be delayed for
a later date without significantly straining
the capacities of the other elementary
campuses. CBAC members chose to include
the purchase of the land; reasoning that
the school would then be able to reserve an
available site and avoid likely future increases
in real estate costs.
How will the Multipurpose
Instructional Facility allow
for full-day kindergarten?
Currently, space on many elementary
campuses is taken up by necessary
administration dedicated to KISD’s special
education and other specialized programs.
These faculty members have offices based at
campuses, but travel throughout the district
to assist other schools. The Multipurpose
Instructional Facility would provide office
space to house those administrators, and free
up enough class space to support full-day
kindergarten. The complex would be located
in a currently vacant facility within the KISD
boundaries that would be renovated to meet
the needs described above.
What would happen if the
entire bond package fails?
Keller ISD will never have room in its
maintenance and operating budget to
support the construction of major facilities
such as new schools and athletic facilities.
Similarly, all of the items included in the
2008 bond package are there because there
was no other source of financing for them. If
the propositions do not pass, the additions
and improvements cannot be made. KISD
would then develop a plan to use additional
portable classrooms to contend with
additional growth.
Why are the fine arts facilities
at Fossil Ridge High School
being enhanced, but not at
Keller or Central?
Since the construction of Fossil Ridge,
improvements at Keller and the construction
of Central and Timber Creek have included
additions that FRHS does not have. The
enhancements to Fossil Ridge’s facility are
included to allow an opportunity for all
high school students in the district to receive
access to the same educational opportunities.
I live within City of Keller
limits. Why is my money going to
build schools west of Hwy. 377?
Keller ISD encompasses a greater area than
simply Keller proper. In addition to Keller,
KISD includes residents in portions of Fort
Worth, Watauga, North Richland Hills,
Hurst, Colleyville, Southlake, Westlake and
Haltom City. Although distributed among
multiple cities, it is one district.
Why was there a disagreement
among Board members
regarding the number of
propositions to the bond?
The Board of Trustees has the authority to
present the projects in a single proposition or
separate propositions for voter consideration.
The eventual debate over the 2008 Bond
Package came down to whether it should be
presented as one proposal or be separated
into two, allowing voters more choices.
The Board approved the two-proposition
package, citing various reasons. Members
also expressed their desire to simply allow
the voters to make an informed decision
regarding each proposition.
Send your questions to [email protected]
2008 KELLER ISD BOND PACKAGE
Growth of Keller ISD
Keller ISD’s enrollment has continued to grow by an
average of nearly 1,600 to 2,000 students annually over
the past five years. The district grew by 6 percent in 2007.
The district’s enrollment has exceeded 30,000 this
school year and will continue to grow for the next 5-10
years. Two elementary schools will likely be over capacity
by 2011, and another two will exceed their limit by 2015.
Meanwhile, two intermediate schools and two middle
schools are projected to surpass capacity in the next three
years as well.
Whereas the last bond package in 2006 focused
primarily on supplying classroom space for the district’s
older students at the high school level and building two
elementary campuses, this year’s package addresses the
classroom needs of elementary, intermediate and middle
schools as well as adding additional infrastructure for the
still growing high school populations.
Despite the recent dip in the housing market, many
economists are predicting an economic recovery by the
spring or summer of 2009. With 8,000 vacant and future
single family lots still available, the Keller ISD Board
of Trustees called upon the Citizens Bond Advisory
Committee (CBAC) to develop a plan of action to deal
with continued growth.
The Board accepted the CBAC’s recommendations on
Aug. 26 and called a bond election that would provide
$167,940,000 in proceeds over the next three years.
Included in that package is a new elementary school
and an intermediate-middle school combined campus.
If the sale of bonds is approved, work on new school
construction would begin in 2009.
If Keller ISD voters do not adopt the package, the
district will put together and implement a comprehensive
plan from its maintenance and operations budget to put
multiple portable classrooms on several district campuses.
How did we get here?
Before calling for the 2008 bond election, the Keller
ISD Board of Trustees called upon an independent
citizens’ group known as the Citizens Bond Advisory
Committee (CBAC) to develop a recommendation of how
best to deal with the district’s growth.
A CBAC was assembled prior to the bond elections
in 2006 and 2005. This year’s group was made up of 22
business and community members including parents,
senior citizens and homeowner groups from every corner
of the Keller ISD boundaries.
Members met throughout the summer to develop
a strategy for addressing the growth challenges facing
the district. District administrators presented the
committee with growth figures, the district’s 10-year
facilities projections, and facility and infrastructure needs
assessments.
In addition to new requests from Keller ISD
administration, the group examined items left over from
the 2006 bond election including a second district athletic
stadium. In all, the committee sorted through over $200
million in projects, but resolved to trim the package down.
The biggest item deferred from the original package was
the construction of the district’s 23rd elementary school.
After some debate and analysis of the district’s growth
estimates, the CBAC decided the elementary school
could wait another three years and not face significant
overcrowding. The committee left $3 million in the
proposal to purchase the necessary land for the campus.
After considering all of the data provided them, the
members of the CBAC agreed to recommend a bond
package that would provide $167,940,000 in proceeds to
the district. On Aug. 26, the Board of Trustees considered
the committee’s recommendation and agreed to put the
issue before the district’s voters.
Keller ISD’s School Finances Explained
Your Keller ISD tax rate is comprised of two separate
rates. The first is the maintenance and operations (M&O)
rate which covers the district’s annual and day-to-day
expenditures.
Keller ISD’s M&O rate is set at $1.04 per $100 in
home appraisal value, the maximum allowable rate since
the Texas State Legislature lowered the maximum rate in
2007. This M&O rate is unchanged from last year.
The second portion of the tax rate is the interest and
sinking (I&S) rate. This rate is reserved for servicing longterm debt issued by the district. The I&S rate is the only
rate that would be affected with the approval of the 2008
bond package.
When a school district calls for a bond election, it is
asking the public to vote on the question of selling bonds
over a specific period of time, to fund projects that the
district could not otherwise pay out of its regular annual
budget. Once the bond is paid in full, it is retired.
If Keller ISD voters decide in the Nov. 4 election
to authorize the sale of bonds for construction of
new buildings, facility upgrades and infrastructure
enhancements, tax payers would see a $0.0875 increase in
their I&S rate, which amounts to about $13.49 a month
for the owner of an average KISD home.* Combined with
the M&O rate, Keller ISD tax payers would pay a total of
$1.50 per $100 appraised value.
In 2005, before the new cap on the M&O rate, KISD’s
combined tax rate was $1.71. That is 21 cents more than it
would be if the 2008 Bond is approved.
If the package is not approved, Keller ISD will look into
other ways to create classroom space, likely including the
purchase or rent of additional portable classrooms. These
buildings would be funded through the M&O budget, the
same portion of taxes that funds teachers’ salaries, utilities
and other school programs.
BOND PROJECT
BREAKDOWN
Proposition No. 1
Proposition No. 2
Proposition 1 of the 2008 Keller ISD bond package calls for the construction of an intermediate-middle
school hybrid campus and the district’s 22nd elementary school, the purchase of land for the 23rd
elementary school, creation of a multipurpose instructional facility to allow for full-day kindergarten,
additions to KISD Natatorium, 10 new tennis courts at middle school and high school campuses, as well as
district-wide technology improvements, safety and security measures, maintenance upgrades, and fine arts
and athletic facility improvements.
Projections put KISD middle school and intermediate school enrollment at 11,087 for the 2011-12
school year, presenting the opportunity to add half of each respective campus into a single building. The
construction of an elementary school is included to relieve overcrowding at two current campuses that are
projected to be beyond capacity in 2011. Land for another elementary school would also be purchased,
leaving the cost of the actual construction of it for a future bond package.
A multipurpose instructional facility would be achieved by making renovations to a currently vacant
facility within the district’s boundaries. It would house food service storage, maintenance facilities, and
district administrative offices that would make room in KISD’s elementary schools to allow for full-day
kindergarten.
The Natatorium’s dressing room areas would also be expanded to increase its capacity from two swim
teams to four, to allow for additional space and to account for Timber Creek High School athletes. Tennis
courts would also be installed at five middle school and high school campuses that currently have two
fewer than other similar KISD schools.
Technology upgrades include a refresh of some of the district’s computers, additional servers and
classroom projectors in older campuses. Meanwhile, security improvements feature the installation of
V-Soft visitor software at every campus as well as new cameras and burglar alarm systems at various
district buildings. Fine arts projects include the addition of new risers for high school campuses and the
construction of a black box theater at Fossil Ridge, KISD’s only high school without such a facility. Athletic
improvement projects include new bleachers at Keller High’s baseball and softball complexes and Fossil
Hill’s football field, and the installation of artificial turf at Central and Fossil Ridge high schools.
Short-term elements such as new computers will be financed over five years, while the rest of Proposition
1 will be financed over a 25-year period. Proposition 1 would cost the average tax payer $11.44 per month.*
Proposition 2 of the 2008 Keller ISD bond package includes the construction of a second district athletic
stadium, to be built on the campus of Timber Creek High School.
With Timber Creek’s promotion to varsity athletics beginning with the 2010-11 school year, KISD will be
required to provide facilities for varsity programs of four high schools. Four high schools sharing the current
KISD Athletic Complex could result in additional Thursday night and possibly Saturday football games.
Thursday games not only require athletes of home and visiting teams to return to school the morning after a
game, but also prevent any other major events from taking place at Keller High at the same time.
The new stadium would be constructed to match the current KISD Athletic Complex including a seating
capacity of 8,000.
The elements included in Proposition 2 would be financed over a 25-year period and would cost the
average homeowner $2.05 per month.*
Shall the Board of Trustees of said District be authorized to issue the bonds of the District,
in one or more series, in the aggregate principal amount of $142,340,000 for the purpose of the
construction, acquisition and equipment of school buildings in the District and the purchase
of the necessary sites for school buildings, with said bonds to mature, bear interest, and be
issued and sold in accordance with law at the time of issuance; and shall the Board of Trustees
be authorized to levy and pledge, and cause to be assessed and collected, annual ad valorem
taxes, on all taxable property in the District, sufficient, without limit as to rate or amount, to pay
the principal of and interest on said bonds, and the costs of any credit agreements executed in
connection with the bonds?
PROPOSITION 1
New Facilities, Additions,
Technology, Security, Safety
and other Infrastructure
PROPOSITION 2
Stadium
85%
15%
Shall the Board of Trustees of said District be authorized to issue the bonds of the District,
in one or more series, in the aggregate principal amount of $25,600,000, for the purpose of the
construction, acquisition and equipment of school buildings in the District and the purchase
of the necessary sites for school buildings, to wit: a new district multi-purpose stadium, with
said bonds to mature, bear interest, and be issued and sold in accordance with law at the
time of issuance; and shall the Board of Trustees be authorized to levy and pledge, and cause
to be assessed and collected, annual ad valorem taxes, on all taxable property in the District,
sufficient, without limit as to rate or amount, to pay the principal of an interest on said bonds,
and the costs of any credit agreements executed in connection with the bonds?
PROPOSITION 1
BUDGET
New Intermediate-Middle School Campus
New Elementary School – No. 22
Land for Elementary School – No. 23
Multipurpose Instructional Facility (to provide full-day kindergarten)
Natatorium Dressing Room Addition
Tennis Courts on existing secondary campuses
District-wide technology, security, safety and other infrastructure
TOTAL
TAX IMPACT IN PENNIES
Monthly Impact on Average Home* (Weekly)
$56,500,000
$23,700,000
$3,000,000
$10,200,000
$1,200,000
$1,300,000
$46,940,000
$142,340,000
7.42¢
$11.44 ($2.64)
ELEMENTS OF STADIUM CONSTRUCTION
BUDGET
TOTAL
TAX IMPACT IN PENNIES
Monthly Impact on Average Home* (Weekly)
$25,600,000
1.33¢
$2.05 ($.47)
*An average Keller ISD home is valued at $200,000, less $15,000 Homestead Exemption leaves
value of $185,000.