Frisco Chamber Board Supports Propositions A, B, C, and D
Frisco ISD voters will decide four District propositions on the November ballot, including the tax rate and a bond program. The Frisco Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors took a vote to support the four propositions on the ballot. The Frisco Chamber’s advocacy is guided by our commitment to inform, educate, engage, and represent the business community on key public policy issues.
Frisco’s ability to attract and retain both large and small businesses often hinges on two critical questions:
- Do we have the skilled, educated workforce that employers need?
- Does our school district meet the expectations of their employees for their children’s education?
In short, the quality of education provided by Frisco ISD plays a major role in why businesses choose to open, relocate, or stay in Frisco — both for their operations and their employees.
The workforce of tomorrow begins with the education of our students today. The four propositions on the ballot are essential to delivering a well-rounded, excellent educational experience for Frisco ISD students, preparing them for success in the workforce. These propositions will provide resources to remain an educational leader and destination.
Voting FOR all four propositions creates the strongest possible future for students and the entire community.
Propositions
- Proposition A – An M&O tax rate increase of $0.0294 per $100 valuation.
- Proposition B, or the facility upgrades bond, includes 25-year campus refreshes at 20 schools, a Staley Middle School replacement, furniture and equipment, general facility maintenance, paving and landscape repairs, safety and security upgrades, transportation, and replacement turf at physical education facilities. Cost: $986 million.
- Proposition C, or the technology bond, would pay for replacement devices for staff and students on a five-year rotation schedule, as well as a network update and additional wireless access points. Cost: $88.2 million.
- Proposition D, or the athletics bond, funds the construction of a tennis center with 16 outdoor tennis courts, spectator seating, concessions and restrooms. Cost: $11.2 million.
About Frisco ISD
- Frisco ISD operates 77 campuses totaling over 11 million square feet in the cities of Frisco, Little Elm, McKinney and Plano. Many of the district’s facilities are aging. Crucial upgrades to infrastructure, technology, and safety and security are needed. These proposals address all of those issues plus allow Frisco ISD to maintain competitive salaries for teachers and amazing academic programming for our students all for less than three cents.
Did you know that 104 of Frisco ISD’s school buses are past their 15-year/100K mile life cycle? By approving the Bond & VATRE, Frisco ISD will be able to purchase safe, modern, and fuel-efficient school buses for students to safely ride to and from school on.
In addition to purchasing a new bus fleet, the passage of the Bond & VATRE will allow the district to equip all district vehicles with GPS, build a working bus wash, replace outdated fuel pumps and install additional fuel tanks to reduce delivery costs and ease the strain on the maintenance and operations budget, which is the same fund used to pay teachers and staff salaries.
By replacing the current Staley Middle School with a new, modern facility designed to better meet the learning needs of the approximately 600 students and staff, we can both avoid having to displace the current student population during a renovation and, after the new campus is completed, we can renovate the existing Staley building using 2018 bond money and repurpose it for special education programs including the ASPIRE program, a special education transitional program that emphasizes community-based instruction and work-based learning for students 18-22 years of age.
ASPIRE aims to enhance independence, self-advocacy, pre-vocational and vocational skills, and social integration to support postsecondary goals. Additional services, based on individual IEPs, include occupational therapy, physical therapy, music therapy, and school psychologists. ASPIRE currently has 116 students and a growing enrollment, but no designated campus.
After the new Staley Middle School is completed just east of the current campus, renovations on the existing Staley building could be completed and the ASPIRE program, among other special education programs, would finally have a designated home campus.
- Frisco ISD produces some of the best tennis players in the state, however most of our high school campuses are only equipped with 6 courts, which is not enough to host districts and other large tournaments at a single site. By approving the Bond & VATRE, the district can build a 16-court outdoor tennis facility, complete with covered spectator bleachers, a concession stand and restrooms. Having a tennis center in Frisco ISD will allow the district to host large tournaments and eliminate the need to rent tennis facilities outside of Frisco. There is never a shortage of tennis players in Frisco, but there is often a shortage of tennis courts.
Source: Vote for Frisco ISD
Early Voting and Election Day
Early voting started October 21, 2024, and runs through November 1, 2024. Election day is November 5, 2024. More information at FriscoChamber.com/vote.
