Spring Branch ISD considers $903 million in bond measures

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Spring Branch Independent School District Trustees heard final recommendations from the Bond Advisory Committee, the result of two months of discussion and workshops, at a June 26 board meeting that included $903 million worth of investment in area schools.

The committee was charged with recommending key areas of need in the district for which tax payers will have the opportunity to vote on.

Of the almost-one billion dollar program that the committee designed to avoid any increase in taxes, 81 percent was comprised of facility improvements, or $730 million. The next largest allocation was a 12 percent share, or $104 million in technology upgrades.

"We looked specifically at 12 campuses that had a very, very high deficiency rating to them," said David Slattery, co-chair of the Bond Advisory Committee of the campuses in most need of repair. "Each group came up with a pretty high priority to address renovation plans for those campuses at higher deficiencies."

Some of the schools with the highest score for deficiencies in the facilities were built throughout the 1950s and '60s. Bendwood, Bunker Hill, Hunters Creek, Memorial Drive and Woodview Elementaries; Landrum, Spring Branch, Spring Oaks and Spring Woods Middle Schools; Memorial and Spring Woods High Schools, as well as Westchester Academy were those that ranked high in deficiencies.

The last Spring Branch ISD bond program was in 2007 when voters approved $597 million be spent on 13 new campuses. But even four of the new campuses built from 2012 to 2016 were assessed to have roofing repair needs.

Linda Buchman, community relations officer with Spring Branch ISD said the Board of Trustees have scheduled meetings to discuss the committee's recommendation, the first will be July 10.