“We felt the need to devote more time to obtaining community feedback regarding high school expansions and other potential projects, and to continue educating the community on our current financial constraints due to the economic downturn and limited state funding,” said Dr. J.D. Kennedy, McKinney ISD Superintendent of Schools.
The district recently held a public meeting and many attendees expressed a desire to pursue a smaller high school model. The district shifted to a larger model with the opening of McKinney Boyd High School in 2006, moving from a 2,500 student capacity model to 3,000 students. “Shifting to a larger high school model has always been driven by financial constraints, not our desire to have large high schools,” said Cody Cunningham, McKinney ISD Chief Communications Officer. “The administration supports the idea of smaller schools at both the elementary and secondary levels, but our tax base has not afforded us any other option. However, we owe it to ourselves and our students to continue to study the issue.”
The economic slowdown and resulting decline in home values has placed additional constraints upon the district. In addition to a higher per student cost for the smaller schools, the difference in maintenance and operating costs for a new high school versus expanding existing high schools could amount to as much as $2.5 to $3.5 million per year.
“The issue of cost is as much about the day to day operating and staffing expenses as it is about the construction of the facility,” added Cunningham. “If we are spending an additional $3 million on maintenance and operating costs for a fourth high school, we could be forced to increase student to teacher ratios and eliminate other programs throughout the district. Most of the parents we’ve spoken to do not see this as an acceptable trade-off, and we agree with them. While the size of a school is a factor, the quality of the teacher and the instruction a student receives in the classroom is the single greatest influence on whether or not a child is successful in school.”
“The district explored a number of financing options after receiving requests from parents to look at extending the length of its construction bonds from the current maximum of 25 years to 30, 35, or 40 year bonds. However, by going from a 25 year to a 40 year maximum maturity, principal and interest payments jumped by $215 million, while yielding only $25 million in additional funds,” said Steve Fortenberry, McKinney ISD Chief Financial Officer. While the district is exploring every possible option, expanding McKinney High School and McKinney North high school prior to the construction of a fourth high school may be the district’s only option if it hopes to also meet the needs of its elementary and middle schools.
“We must not lose sight of our elementary and middle school needs as well,” said Cunningham. “This bond committee and administration aren’t willing to mortgage the future of the district to build a smaller high school, however, we want to make certain we’ve explored every possible option.”
Parents frequently cite a desire to follow a model used in Frisco ISD, which designs smaller 4A high schools. Frisco ISD recently announced plans to expand high school capacity from 1,800 capacity high schools to 2,100 capacity high schools citing significant savings to construction and operating funds. Frisco ISD has been able to maintain the 4A-sized schools due in large part to having a significantly higher taxable property value per student; $502,128 per student versus $383,702 per student in McKinney (see graph below).
The bond committee and district determined that holding off an election until May would allow more time for community input, a final analysis of high school expansion options, and communication about the current financial constraints impacting the district. The district plans on surveying the community and holding additional meetings and informational presentations in the coming weeks. As a result of the recommendation, the issue has been pulled from the upcoming Board of Trustees agenda.
“Based upon the feedback we received we felt the need to slow the process down. While the critical needs for expansions, renovations, and technology aren’t going away we feel we need to more thoroughly communicate our financial constraints and provide ample time to look at every possible option and suggestion,” said Kennedy.
Source: TEA Academic Excellence Indicator System
For additional information about the McKinney Independent School District, contact Cody Cunningham, Chief Communications Officer at cocunningham@mckinneyisd.net or Justin Acker, Communications Specialist, at jacker@mckinneyisd.net. Both can be reached by phone at 469-742-4095.