Plano ISD has included a total of $168.7 million in the 2008 bond proposal to construct the following facilities.

• Schell Elementary School (pre-funded).
• Employee child care facility (pre-funded, anticipated opening August 2008).
• Land acquisitions for future school sites (pre-funded).
• Conversion of Barron Early Childhood School to an elementary campus.
• Construction of a new early childhood school.
• Construction of a new elementary school, middle school and high school, all located in the eastern portion of the school district.

The schools listed below are scheduled for renovation, at a cost of $121.2 million. In Plano ISD, major renovation includes replacing or upgrading the following systems: HVAC, electrical, plumbing, energy management, fire sprinkler and alarms, and upgrading to current educational standards and city codes.

• Bethany Elementary
• Brinker Elementary
• Daffron Elementary
• Hedgcoxe Elementary
• Jackson Elementary
• Memorial Elementary
• Mendenhall Elementary
• Mitchell Elementary
• Rasor Elementary
• Weatherford Elementary

The $36.2 million included in the 2008 bond program will address building facility needs at 47 locations that are not included in the 20-year major renovations. In some cases, work is combined for economy of scale or in response to immediate repair. Examples include replacing roofs, carpet and air-conditioning equipment, updating fire alarm or energy management systems and site improvements for parking or fire lanes.

The bond proposal includes $62.2 million to add to or expand the following facilities to maintain
equity among schools.

• Plano East Senior High School - science, kitchen and dining, administrative offices
• Vines High School - fine arts and science addition
• Plano West Senior High School - kitchen and dining
• Haggard Middle School - fine arts addition
• Plano Senior High School - fine arts addition
• Forman Elementary School - classroom addition
• Guinn Center - classrooms, kitchen and serving line

Plano ISD’s curriculum and technology needs, which total $66 million, grew out of the intensive study of focus groups conducted among school faculty and staff, students and parents that resulted in a state-approved technology plan for 2007-2010. They include:

• Replacement of computers, servers, TVs/monitors, projection systems, science lab equipment and other peripheral equipment placed in schools as a result of the 1996, 2000, 2003, and 2004 bond elections.
• 41 curriculum area improvements.
• Video display cameras to replace overhead projectors in classrooms.
• Video projection systems in all elementary classrooms similar to those installed in secondary classrooms from previous bonds.
• Career and technology classroom equipment for newly adopted courses such as Criminal Investigations and Marketing Dynamics.
• Classroom computers for all elementary art classrooms to meet new TEKS standards.
• Science facilities and equipment that are up-to-date and meet safety standards and provide for the new state science requirements.
• Assistive technology devices for special education students’ identified needs.
• Classroom computers in all middle school mathematics classrooms to take advantage of new learning software.

A total of $10.5 million is included in the bond proposal to purchase equipment for science labs, career education classes, libraries, fine arts programs, and lockers for PE classes.

Safety and security of our students and staff are essential components of providing a quality education. Approximately $4 million in safety and security bond dollars will fund:

• Additional cameras at all schools.
• Upgrades of existing cameras and equipment.
• Additional Rapid Eye units.
• Upgraded cabling, wiring and data support for all systems.
• Computer upgrades for alarm and access systems to continuous online monitoring.
• Fire system upgrades.
• District wide visitor identification system: Raptor.

In 2000, legislation was passed to allow districts to buy school buses through the issuance of bonds. This allows the district to capitalize a large expenditure and avoid paying an additional 30% of the cost to recapture. The district has a need for 60 new buses over the next four years and other capital needs related to transportation, totaling $7.8 million.

The bond proposal includes $13.4 million for these district wide capital projects:

• Food and nutritional services - replacement of obsolete equipment.
• Bird Center – parking lot renovation.
• Energy efficient lighting - retrofit lighting that has an estimated three-year payback to the general fund.
• Water conservation irrigation upgrades (technological) that have an estimated four-year payback to the general fund.
• Athletics – anticipated upgrades and capital needs over the next four years.
• District wide projects - annual requests that traditionally are funded through the Maintenance & Operation Fund

With the support of voters in the passage of the 2000, 2003 and 2004 bond programs, Plano ISD has implemented:

• Full-day kindergarten, with the addition of facilities at each of our elementary schools.
• Construction of a new middle school, six new elementary schools, three early childhood schools and a new stadium.
• The largest renovation in our history, with 10 campuses receiving major 20-year renovations in the 2000 bond, and an additional nine campuses undergoing major renovation in the Bond
• 2004 initiative. Also included in the 2004 bond were improvements to Clark Stadium and the Williams Field House.

The current state finance law makes it 30% more cost efficient to use bond dollars in place of operating dollars. Our current operating budget cannot support large technology purchases without taking dollars away from other instructional programs.

It is estimated that the 2008 bonds will increase the tax rate over the course of the replacement schedule by no more than eight cents over the life of the bonds.

There will be NO impact since taxes are frozen on homes of those 65 years of age and older. The average current home value in Plano ISD is $257,900. Based on that current value, the increase to the tax bill will average $33 to $45 annually for five years then start to decline.

PISD has one of the lowest tax rates in the metroplex. We have managed to maintain a low tax rate even though we’ve had to send funds back to the state. This has been accomplished through very conservative budgeting and by staying below the administrative cost ratio recommended by the state.

Debt service dollars are NOT subject to “Robin Hood,” so every cent raised through this bond election will be spent for Plano ISD students. In 2007-08, we anticipate sending more than $81,424,979 million back to the state through the recapture provisions of “Robin Hood.”