Frisco ISD opens applications for committee shaping possible 2027 bond

Frisco ISD is forming a bond committee to study a possible bond package for spring 2027, and applications to serve on it open Monday, Sept. 14 and close Friday, Sept. 25.

The district announced the step Sept. 9, saying feedback from recent stakeholder listening sessions is the foundation for the work ahead. In those sessions, community members discussed district needs and the November 2024 bond, including why it did not pass. The district said the groups intentionally included a range of views, among them people who did not support the 2024 package, and that their input is guiding how the district approaches the needs of students, staff and the community.

Who will serve

According to the district, the committee will be made up of appointees from each Frisco ISD trustee, appointees from the Frisco ISD Council of PTAs and the Frisco Chamber of Commerce, staff and community members selected from an applicant pool, and high school students selected by campus principals.

Work begins in late October. The committee will meet through the fall and make recommendations for a potential May 2027 bond package, one the district says should keep its schools at the standard families have come to expect without overreaching financially. The Sept. 9 announcement names no dollar amount and no specific projects.

The district framed the effort as a shared one, saying taxpayers, residents, staff, parents, retirees and recent college graduates each bring a meaningful perspective as it considers what it called a disciplined, practical, stewardship-focused bond. It acknowledged that not every stakeholder will agree on every priority, and said its goal is broad understanding of the needs most important to maintaining the quality of education residents expect.

Background

Voters last approved a Frisco ISD bond in 2018, when the district was growing quickly and needed to add facilities, the district said. The 2024 proposal addressed a different landscape, with more buildings approaching 20 years of age and needing repair, maintenance and renovation.

After the 2024 bond failed, and as enrollment began to decline, district leadership developed a Sustainability Plan as a roadmap for the years ahead. As a result of that planning, the district said, 2018 bond funds have been stretched to cover operational needs that the annual maintenance and operations budget does not.

Bonds generally fund long-term capital investments, while the maintenance and operations budget covers the regular yearly cost of running schools. The district's own example: the operating budget pays for bus drivers and gas, and bonds pay for the buses.

The announcement also pointed to three straight years of balanced budgets amid declining revenue, an "A" rating from the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas, and underlying credit ratings of Aa1 from Moody's and AA+ from Standard & Poor's.

What happens next

Residents who want a seat on the committee have the Sept. 14 to Sept. 25 window to apply through the district. The committee's work starts in late October and runs through the fall, ending in its recommendations for a potential May 2027 bond package.

Sources

https://www.friscoisd.org/o/soc/article/3120935