The Conroe ISD Board of Trustees got its first look at a timeline for $1.9 billion in projects with construction getting underway on several schools in March.
As the largest bond package in the district’s history, the administration is also reviewing its process for using bond funds to ensure it can be scaled up to apply to a larger amount of funds and projects.
Voters approved three of four propositions on Nov. 7, paving the way for the district to construct eight new schools and a new agriculture barn, fund renovations at several campuses, including new gyms for elementary schools, and purchase new computers and laptops. Proposition D to fund a new pool and renovations to the district’s natatorium near Woodforest Stadium failed.
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Approval of the bond means a 2-cent raise in the district’s tax rate. For 2024, the board of trustees lowered the rate from $1.11 per $100 in property value to 96.21 cents per $100.
During the workshop Tuesday, Superintendent Curtis Null said the process review is critical for accountability and to ensure the district doesn’t lose oversight of the funds and projects. He said the process will also look at staffing as the district moves forward with construction.
Board President Skeeter Hubert and Trustees Tiffany Nelson and Datren Williams were absent from the workshop due to other commitments.
While the bond passed in November, Null said work began before the election, including appointing a bond committee to create the bond package.
“The reality of bond 2023 is it started in 2022 and will end in 2028,” Null said.
According to information from the school, construction will begin on the new schools in March with the first few school slated to open in August 2025. The new high school, the largest project on the bond at $380 million, will open in August 2027.
The district plans to sell its first round of bonds, about $595 million, in January.
In March, Easy Foster, director of planning and construction said construction is expected to begin on two elementary schools, one in the Conroe feeder zone and the other in the Oak Ridge and Caney Creek high school feeder zones. The new Grand Oaks 7-9th grade campus will begin in the summer of next year followed by the new Conroe area high school, Conroe area junior high and the new Caney Creek 9th grade campus starting in December.
“First round is aggressive,” Foster said. “We are trying to stay ahead of the market.”
