Facilities steering committee recommends $495 million bond to modernize Northeast ISD schools

The facilities steering committee for Northeast Independent School District presented a long‑range facility plan and recommended the board put a $495 million bond measure before voters to modernize district buildings and infrastructure.

Fred Morrison, chair of the committee, told trustees the recommendation followed an 11‑meeting process that began after the district contracted Gordian to assess building condition. Subcommittees scored nearly 2,000 candidate projects using rubrics that prioritized student impact, age of facility and program needs. The five categories the committee used were safety and security, technology, operations and utilities, extracurricular facilities, and general facilities and program upgrades.

Key priorities listed in the committee’s packet include perimeter fencing and secured entry upgrades, cameras and keyless access, classroom and CTE technology assets, HVAC replacements and roof work identified in the Gordian assessment, stadium and turf projects, natatorium dehumidification equipment, and kitchen/cafeteria renovations at selected campuses. Morrison said the committee added a project management allowance and contingency to the package to cover market volatility.

Jorge Cabello, executive director of construction management and engineering, told trustees the proposed program would be implemented across a five‑year schedule if voters approve the bond. He said projects that do not require architectural design could proceed quickly, while complex renovations require design and procurement phases that can take 8–12 months before construction begins. The district also plans to use short‑term commercial paper to fund initial construction draws and sell bonds over time, a strategy the staff said can smooth taxpayer impact.

Several trustees asked about tax-rate impact and scheduling. Presenters said they expect to keep the district’s debt‑service rate stable (they noted a target debt‑service rate near 30 cents) and emphasized the district’s record of refundings and careful debt management; staff cited prior refundings and longer‑term savings that they said have reduced interest costs. The committee recommended voters consider the package and asked the board to revisit facilities planning in four years to avoid long gaps between bond programs.

The presentation included operational clarifications: Gordian’s assessment focused on building systems and was supplemented by district staff surveys of parking lots, playgrounds and buses; the Gordian data and the committee’s scoring will be updated as projects are completed so the district can track remaining lifecycle needs. Committee members also noted an error in the board packet labeling Gordian projects as “non‑Gordian” and requested that be corrected.

Next steps. Committee leaders said the recommendation was advisory: the next board steps would be to send the project list to bond counsel for eligibility review, to prepare ballot language and, if the board orders an election, to place that order in August. The steering committee asked the board to consider an election schedule that could be completed within the timelines staff outlined. No bond order was adopted during the meeting; the committee’s recommendation will be before the board for future action.