The spring semester is going full steam ahead. It's hard to believe that we will soon be taking a week-long (and well-deserved) break. Hang in there: Spring Break is just around the corner.
As you may be aware, the GCCISD Board of Trustees has called for a bond election on Saturday, May 5. Early voting runs Monday, April 23 - Tuesday, May 1. You can access voting times and locations on our district website at gccisd.net.
With voter approval, the district will be able to complete much-needed projects, including a new junior school, two new elementary schools and a replacement, a home for our special education department, new school buses and more. We also will be able to invest in our extracurricular programs with a robotics practice arena, replace instruments and theater lighting for our students in our fine arts programs, and add new turf to practice fields as well as an athletic field house. Further, a successful bond will enable us to upgrade technology throughout the district to enhance learning opportunities for students at all levels, and make significant repairs to district infrastructure that has reached the end of its life cycle.
There are a number of projects in the bond proposal. The majority of these projects were assessed, debated and decided on by a committee of citizen volunteers who were very deliberate in understanding the district needs and prioritizing the projects. I want to thank these community volunteers who served on our Citizens Facilities Planning Committee for their hard work in evaluating the needs of the students and staff of GCCISD with fidelity. The committee included community members, parents and industry representatives, and they gave generously of their time.
After hearing the Committee's recommendations, the Board agreed with most of the scope of the proposal, and made some additional adjustments based on current and projected student needs, as well as predicted student growth in the coming years.
At a meeting on Feb. 13, the Board of Trustees called for a bond in the amount of $457,405,000. Proposition 1, totaling $376,905,000, includes the new elementary and junior schools, a building for our special education and curriculum and instruction departments, a practice facility for our robotics students, the second phase of the Stuart Career Tech High School, an athletic field house, new band equipment and theatrical lighting systems, upgrades to the natatorium, the replacement of San Jacinto Elementary and more. For a full list of Proposition 1 projects, please visit our website at gccisd.net.
Proposition 2, totaling $60,500,000, would fund a multi-purpose center. Here we would hold graduation and convocation; host sports, dance, cheer and robotics tournaments; and hold staff development, award ceremonies and prom. There isn't another facility like the proposed multipurpose center anywhere in our immediate area, and as the gateway to Houston from the East, it's projected that we could potentially rent the facility on a regular basis to pay down the project debt.
The district is in the process of developing presentations and materials about the bond proposal that will help voters make an informed decision regarding the election. These materials will be available soon. I hope that you'll take time to learn about and understand the projects included in the bond election and how they can benefit student learning in GCCISD.
We're looking forward to the remainder of the spring semester. It's going to go fast, but our focus will remain on engaging, inspiring and empowering the students of GCCISD in our collective effort to offer the best quality education that the children of our community so deserve.