Facility Planning

Keep in mind that for election purposes, the 2009 bond projects were packaged into three separate propositions and approved by voters as a $138 million total amount. However, for construction purposes, projects are packaged per site location or scope/nature of work.

Information about the various general contractors, as well as proposed completion timelines, will be posted by the corresponding package upon selection and approval by the Carroll ISD Board of Trustees.

Rest assured that school officials and Trustees will carefully monitor timelines, costs and associated interest earned as part of the 2009 bond program. CISD residents can check back on this website regularly for project updates, photos and announcements. The School Board agreed to audit the 2006 bond projects approved by voters and the same practice is expected for 2009 bond project expenditures. Questions? Call 817-949-7080.

Middle School Contractor Offers Web Cam Link

Carroll officials say local taxpayers can see their bond dollars at work near the Kirkwood Boulevard extension and East Highland Avenue as site and dirt work began for a new middle school campus there recently. The general contractor for the project is Bartlett Cocke, and they offer an onsite web cam so that taxpayers and staff can see construction work in progress.

Middle School Construction Cam

School officials held a ground breaking in early November, officially kicking off construction of two new schools - the middle school and a new elementary school just north of White Chapel Blvd. Both schools are slated to open in the fall of 2011, but the middle school project will take longer to construct.

Citizen's Bond Advisory Committee

Architectural Firm Selected

January 14 Facility Committee Meeting

• Meeting Sign-In Sheets
• Architect's Project Cost Analysis By Campus
• Technology Consultants' Report 
• Meeting Agenda

The meeting this week was held in conjunction with a School Board workshop to allow Trustees and members of the citizen's committee to hear the results of the district-wide technology assessment conducted by Elert & Associates. The group identified $26 million in potential infrastructure and technology projects. No action was taken, but Trustees were able to hear ongoing discussion and planning as the group began prioritizing items on their extensive project list. More than $100 million in projects are on the list, but it is unknown how many will be included as part of the group's final recommendation.

A copy of the technology consultants' final report and additional information on the committee's progress will be posted to this website in the next couple of days.

• Architect's Project Cost Analysis By Campus
• Technology Consultants' Report

January 6 Facility Committee Meeting

• Meeting Sign-In Sheets
• Meeting Agenda

Members of the Long Range Facility Planning Committee met Monday, January 6 to hear initial project estimates for proposed capital improvement and new construction projects. The citizens’ committee has been meeting for nearly a year to determine the best option for managing current and future student enrollment.  The group is expected to make its final recommendation to the Carroll School Board February 2.

• New “fifth” Elementary School

  The citizens are discussing construction of a new “fifth” elementary school to alleviate overcrowding at Johnson Elementary School. Instead of building a sixth elementary campus that would require core administrative staffing costs (principal, assistant, nurse, counselor, librarian, etc.), the group came up with the option to build a fifth, new and larger elementary campus so that Durham Elementary can relocate all of its 450 students to the new campus, along with about 150 students who currently attend Johnson Elementary. The district already owns 17 acres of land on North White’s Chapel Boulevard just north of Dove Road. A new school is estimated to cost about $22 million and would open in the fall of 2011. This option also means that Durham intermediate School could utilize the vacated classroom and core areas, including the front office once used for Durham Elementary. Additional space at the Durham site would also be available for future preschool classes or other district uses.

• Renovation or Relocation of Carroll Middle School

  Still to be decided is whether or not the Facility Committee will recommend a major overhaul of the Carroll Middle School campus. Built in 1970, the campus is considered inadequate to meet the needs of the current middle school students housed there without significant changes. Architect John Haugen said it could take about $17.5 million to bring the Carroll Middle School campus up to Dawson Middle School standards. That may not be worth it, some say, if CMS could be used for other purposes. One option is to build a new Carroll Middle School on district-owned land on East Highland Avenue and do a renovation of CMS for an administrative and technology center. The new middle school campus could cost about $38 million, providing parity for the district’s seventh and eighth graders. Then CMS could be renovated for administrative and technology purposes, and the district could sell Carroll Intermediate School. Haugen said CIS has outlived its usefulness to the district and would be worth more sold to a third party. He estimates the district could recoup as much as $12 million from the sale of the building and land to help with the costs of the new middle school construction. One point under discussion is the fact that there is an original 1919 building on the site that could hold significant historical value for some residents. The architect said provisions could be made to sustain or move that 1919 building. Another option is to make arrangements for an historical marker on the site.

• Technology Center, Infrastructure & Classroom Tools

  Chief Technology Officer Patrick Tanner said it could cost as much as $20 million to complete a major overhaul of the district’s technology program.  Detailed cost estimates will be available when members of the Facility Committee and the Carroll School Board Jan. 14. Carroll ISD voters last approved a technology bond 10 years ago. During that time citizens say the district has limped along, replacing computers as they are able and buying portable fans to keep network systems cool. At some schools computers are older than the students using them; others fail to run important software teachers need to deliver the curriculum. Citizens say they have learned that most students have better technology available to them at home than at the secondary schools. The estimated price tag has yet to be finalized but includes about $5 million to implement infrastructure changes to ensure the district has rapid internet access, an auxiliary backup for data and wireless capabilities. The proposed plan calls for about $1.3 million so that the district can run its own network cabling, eliminating annual costs to lease from an outside vendor. The long-term plan also calls for a technology center for data storage and retrieval, professional development and teacher training. Consultants have said the district can construct a new technology center for about $5 million or renovate an existing building like Carroll Intermediate School or Carroll Middle School.

• Classroom Additions

  With a number of Carroll ISD campuses already operating above capacity, several classroom additions are being considered to accommodate student enrollment at least through 2017. The committee is currently reviewing options to add 12 classrooms at Eubanks Intermediate, 12 classrooms at Carroll High School, and 10 classrooms at Old Union Elementary. Moving all Durham Elementary and some Johnson Elementary students to a new fifth elementary school would also free up additional space for fifth and sixth graders at Durham Intermediate. Smaller classroom additions are planned at the two middle schools to address space for certain academic and/or fine arts classes. The district currently has four campuses utilizing portable buildings – Johnson Elementary, Old Union Elementary, Durham Intermediate and Eubanks Intermediate.

• Core Facilities

  The Facility Committee is studying issues at several campuses dealing with core spaces that cannot accommodate numbers at the campuses. Some examples include Carroll Middle School and Carroll Elementary School where the libraries, cafeterias and gymnasiums are too small to accommodate current and future enrollment. Plans are being discussed to also consider band hall and practice room expansions, additional storage and office space and additional parking at some campuses. Sound and lighting in stage and cafeteria areas are also being priced out. School officials are also reviewing structural and foundation needs at Carroll Elementary School.

• Extracurricular/Co-curricular Facilities

  The Extracurricular Facilities Subcommittee discussed a number of projects to upgrade facilities for students involved in fine arts and athletic programs. The list has not yet been prioritized or finalized, but includes about $11.4 million at Carroll Senior High. Projects being discussed at that campus include a new auxiliary gymnasium that would include multipurpose courts, offices and locker rooms for tennis, wrestling, cheerleading, Emerald Belles, baseball and softball. Also being discussed is an addition to the existing field house at CSHS, as well as lights for baseball and softball fields and shaded viewing areas on the east side of the tennis courts.  The price includes a new art facility at CSHS equipped with a 3D studio room, drawing and painting classrooms, a kiln and glaze room and computer lab. A similar project is also being considered at Carroll High School. Members of the Extracurricular Facility Subcommittee have recommended track resurfacing at several sites, including Carroll High School and Carroll Middle School where conditions have deteriorated through the years, causing safety concerns for students competing in track/field events.

  The architect is pricing out an expansion of Dragon Stadium that would include an additional 1,600 seats on the home side stands, an updated scoreboard and sound system and field turf replacement. That project, including all the site work and additional parking necessary to expand the stadium’s capacity, could cost about $6.7 million according to initial estimates. It would also include two additional community boxes and an expansion of the Dragon Den store.

  This subcommittee also discussed band hall storage and office expansions at several campuses, reviewing carefully all sound and lighting equipment for student performances. The group also discussed a popular topic among elementary parents - jogging tracks and fitness trails to help teachers ensure students are getting the required physical fitness minutes each week. A similar jogging track has already been constructed at Johnson Elementary. It is not known if all these individual projects will ultimately be recommended.

• Energy Efficiency & School Security Entrances

  The Maintenance & Safety Subcommittee has been studying various maintenance needs, lighting and security projects and a report on the district’s Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) by Romine, Romine & Burgess. The MEP report outlines about $15 million worth of projects to replace outdated systems and provide greater energy efficiencies. The projects do not have to be done all at once, but could be phased in over time. The district’s architect also priced out school security entrances (man traps) similar to the one just put in at Carroll High School. In essence, the project involves a second set of locked entrance doors that route school visitors through the front office before accessing classroom or core areas. This will help ensure visitor identification and control at main entrance access points. Other projects being discussed include replacement of rotted wooden windows at Rockenbaugh Elementary, additional maintenance staffing to ensure the district can implement its long-term maintenance plan, additional lights and surveillance camera equipment at some locations and a possible staff member to manage safety and security.

December 17 Facility Committee Meeting

• Meeting Sign-In Sheets
• Meeting Agenda

Long-Range Facility Planning Committee members met again on Wednesday, Dec. 17 in the library of the Carroll Intermediate School Building to discuss project options and timelines with architect John Haugen of Natex, Inc. All of the architect's work, along with that of a third-party technology consulting company will be discussed by the committee at their January 6 meeting. The group will also hear information about the methodology and advantages of conducting a community survey on the topic of long-range facility planning. Similar surveys in the past have helped measure community feedback on facility planning. Williams said it is not known at this time if a scientific telephone survey will be recommended by the Facility Committee or if it will be left to the Administration and School Board.

Williams said he expects a final Long-Range Facility Planning Recommendation to the School Board in late January. A special meeting could be called the last week of January so that Trustees can hear the Committee's final report. Options could include the use of temporary buildings, rezoning of students, capital improvements, new construction and/or building additions to accommodate student growth. The total cost of the projects identified for possible implementation will not be known until the consulting companies complete their analysis.

School Board Workshops With Facility Committee December 15 

• Subcommittee Position Papers

Members of the Carroll ISD Long-Range Facility Planning Committee met December 15 in the Carroll Senior High School library for a workshop with members of the Carroll School Board. Chairman Robert Williams requested the meeting so that Trustees could hear an update on the committee's work. The start of the meeting was delayed about 90 minutes while School Board members completed a closed session grievance at Johnson Elementary School. Despite the late start, each Subcommittee chairman was able to present a brief executive summary in the form of a DRAFT position paper for their specific area. Participants included Tina Wasserman for technology, Read Ballew for capital improvements/building use, Don Johnston for extracurricular facilities, and CISD employee Derek Citty for maintenance/security (presenting on behalf of Kosse Maykus who was unable to attend due to a prior family commitment).  In addition, citizen Wayne Lee spoke briefly about his Subcommittee's plans for educating and communicating the public regarding the work and final recommendations of the Facility Committee. Other Facility Committee members present at the workshop included Dana Lewin and Cathy Bergstrom; both are members of the Extracurricular Facilities Subcommittee. All seven School Board members were in attendance, as well as a number of CISD Administrators and campus principals.

The joint meeting gave Committee members and Trustees the opportunity to ask clarifying questions, giving everyone a very broad overview of potential projects. The School Board then voted to authorize the Administration to spend up to $30,000 for architectural consulting services so that John Haugen of Natex, Inc. could price out potential projects and conduct a life-cycle building analysis of both Carroll Middle School and Carroll Intermediate School. Copies of the individual position papers for each Subcommittee are provided below. All discussion and documents are considered PRELIMINARY until a final recommendation is made by the Facility Committee.

Subcommittee Position Papers (DRAFTS)

Capital Improvements/Building Use >
Technology >
Extracurricular Facilities >
Maintenance/Security >

December 3 Facility Committee Meeting 

• Meeting Sign-In Sheets
• Meeting Agenda
• Financing Capital Projects 101
• Financial Advisor's Tax Rate Analysis & Timetable of Events
  (this presentation includes sample debt scenarios for illustrative purposes)
• Sample 2009 Election Calendar

Members of the Facility Committee met December 3 to hear financial information presented by Superintendent David J. Faltys and CISD's Financial Advisor Lewis Wilks from Coastal Securities. Committee members learned about the differences between the Maintenance and Operations Fund and the Interest and Sinking Fund. They also learned about the district's bond debt, payoff schedule and capacity. Dr. Faltys presented information on various options for paying for capital projects. Architect John Haugen was also present to answer committee questions regarding consulting services, pricing out projects and conducting an analysis of aging facilities.

Chairman Robert Williams requested that each Subcommittee begin preparing a bulleted position paper that outlines the facility recommendations in their content area (technology, capital improvements, maintenance and extracurricular facilities). These documents will help the larger group summarize and prioritize projects for a final recommendation.

Financing Capital Projects 101 >
Financial Advisor's Tax Rate Analysis & Timetable of Events > (this presentation includes sample debt scenarios for illustrative purposes)
Sample 2009 Election Calendar >

November 13 Facility Committee Meeting

• Meeting Sign-In Sheets
• Meeting Agenda
• Extracurricular Facilities Subcommittee Report
• Maintenance & Security Subcommittee Report

At the November 13 meeting, Subcommittee Chairman Don Johnston presented the findings and recommendations of the Extracurricular Facilities Subcommitee. This presentation included a number of  identified facility renovations and expansion projects, as well as additional storage and office space. The Subcommittee studied the possibility of additional seating at Dragon Stadium, a new field house for Carroll High School, track repairs and locker room and dressing room facilities at Carroll Senior High. Citizen and parent Dana Lewin, a member of that subcommittee, addressed the possibility of new art classrooms at Carroll High School and Carroll Senior High School. For a complete review of their PowerPoint presentation, visit the link below:

Extracurricular Facilities Subcommittee Report >

Subcommittee Chairman Kosse Maykus then presented the executive findings and recommendations of the Maintenance & Security Subcommittee. The group visited every Carroll ISD facility, met with security officials from Dallas ISD and the City of Southlake's Department of Public Safety and reviewed consultant reports and recommendations for energy efficiency projects. They recommended additional surveillance camera equipment on exterior entrances and exits and increased lighting for security purposes.  The Subcommittee also discussed the need for a long-term maintenance plan and implementation of recommendations made as part of a recent Mechanical, Engineering and Plumbing (MEP) Report. Maykus said subcommittee members learned that the district was forced to cut more than 30 percent of its maintenance and custodial staff several years ago, which has caused a more "reactionary" rather than proactive approach to ongoing maintenance issues. The group took photos of buildings that needed fresh paint, windows repaired and new carpeting/tile work. For a complete review of their PowerPoint presentation or the MEP Report, visit the links below.

Maintenance & Security Subcommittee Report >

Mechanical, Engineering & Plumbing Report (MEP) >

October 7 Facility Committee Meeting

• Meeting Sign-In Sheets
• Meeting Agenda
• Mini-Demographic Update 
• Functional/Programmatic Building Capacity Assumptions Report
• Capital Improvements/Building Use Subcommittee Report

Members of the Facility Planning Committee met October 7 to hear the prelminary findings of the Capital Improvement/Building Use Subcommittee, led by Read Ballew. The group discussed enrollment trends, a demographic analysis and an updated Functional/Programmatic Building Capacity Model. Citizens Scott Dyer and Kristin Jain helped Ballew make the presentation.  Several options to address growth as discussed by this Subcommittee included classroom additions at Eubanks Intermediate School, Carroll High School and Old Union Elementary, as well as construction of a sixth elementary school to alleviate crowding at Johnson Elementary School. Carroll ISD owns property on White Chapel Blvd for a future school. Members of this committee discussed a sixth elementary, but also explained that the addition of a new, sixth administrative and support staff would burden the district's maintenance and operations budget. As an alternative, the Subcommittee proposed the idea of a larger, "replacement" school for Durham Elementary. This would involve building a fifth elementary, instead, and moving all of Durham Elementary's population to the new campus on White Chapel. Additionally, a total of 150-200 Johnson Elementary students could be rezoned to that new, fifth elementary to balance out elementary enrollment. The DES Administration would be relocated to the fifth campus, and the current elementary classrooms at the previous site could be utilized for a growing enrollment and needs for Durham Intermediate. There will still be additional space left over on the DES side of the building for possible district uses (i.e. centralized preschool, technology center, teacher training labs, etc.) The Subcommittee also discussed the need to conduct an assessment of CISD's oldest buildings to determine their life cycle and future viability.

Functional/Programmatic Building Capacity Assumptions Report >

Capital Improvements/Building Use Subcommittee Report >

September 15 Facility Committee Meeting

• Meeting Sign-In Sheets
• Meeting Agenda
• Technology Subcommittee Report

The Technology Subcommittee presented its Executive Summary at the September 15 meeting of the Long-Range Facility Planning Committee.  Chairman Tina Wasserman then made the same presentation to the Board of Trustees at the November 3 School Board meeting.  At that meeting, Trustees authorized an expenditure to hire a third-party technology architectural firm to do a complete analysis and assessment of CISD's long-range technology plans.  The PowerPoint presentation outlining the Subcommittee's areas of study and emphasis is provided below:

Technology Subcommittee Report  >

May 27, 2008 

• Meeting Sign-In Sheets
• Meeting Agenda

April 22, 2008 Meeting

• Meeting Sign-In Sheets 
• Meeting Agenda

March 26, 2008 Meeting

• Meeting Summary 
• Meeting Sign-In Sheets 
• Meeting Agenda 
• Historical Facility/Enrollment Presentation 
• District Property Update 
• Current Enrollment 
• Moak Casey Report 
• Mini-Demographic Update 
• City of Southlake Development Presentation

March 10, 2008 Organizational Meeting

• Meeting Summary 
• Meeting Sign-In Sheets 
• Meeting Agenda 
• Orientation Power Point Presentation 
• Mini-Demographic Update