College Station Independent School District Unanimously Votes for Bond Election After Successful Bon

09/12/2013 | VLK Architects

VLK Architects’ successful bond planning with College Station Independent School District led to the Board of Trustees unanimously calling for a bond election in November 2013.

College Station ISD’s initial steps towards this bond started in the fall of 2012 by bringing in VLK Architects, an architectural firm specializing in school design, construction and bond planning, to establish a Facilities Condition Assessment (FCA). This effort began with a meeting among College Station ISD representatives to review campuses, followed by VLK’s team performing an on-site assessment of each identified campus, uncovering areas needing modifications and upgrades. The District reviewed the results with VLK, prioritized them and then VLK’s team of experts established an itemized cost.

This preliminary groundwork led to VLK partnering with a Long-Range Planning Committee as well as College Station ISD in a bond planning process, which included discussion of potential new facilities in order to address growth, aging facilities and administrative support. The $83.5 million bond comprises the list of projects identified and narrowed down by the committee. These include a new elementary school, as well as the following: $15.5 million for a center for alternative learning; $12 million for deferred maintenance; $7.5 million to pay for a purchasing and warehouse center; $6.5 million to renovate the current center; $6.1 million to pay for technology needs; $5.5 million for land; $3.5 million for renovations to A&M Consolidated High School; $3.9 million for safety upgrades at the schools and $3 million for buses and vehicles. These recommendations were then presented and unanimously voted on by the Board of Trustees.

VLK has assisted the District with successful bond planning since 2005. “It is a privilege to be trusted once again by CSISD to assist in bond planning services,” says VLK Principal Kenneth Hutchens. “Because of our ongoing relationship with College Station ISD, we easily recognize the services they need and are able to provide them exactly what they want. We believe our fact and needs-based approach results in successful planning that withstands the scrutiny of the voters of the Districts we serve.”

The bond election is November 5, 2013. For more information, visit http://www.csisd.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=225177&type=d&pREC_ID=499250.