Comal ISD launches COMAL Forward facilities committee, schedules 7–8 meetings to shape potential bond
Summary
District consultant Dr. Lizzie Johnson outlined a committee process beginning in January to develop facility priorities and practice table votes before a possible bond; the process includes facility tours, finance briefings and an interactive CovoiCE vote in spring.
Comal ISD on Dec. 11 formally kicked off the COMAL Forward facilities committee process that will guide district leaders and community members through a multi‑meeting process to develop a potential bond package.
Dr. Lizzie Johnson, the district’s consultant and committee facilitator, said the process is designed to center student needs and to give committee members multiple opportunities to digest information before final recommendations. "My goal is that everyone in that room feels comfortable coming to me, expressing their concerns, expressing their questions, and making sure that their voice is heard," Johnson told trustees.
What the committee will do: Johnson outlined 7–8 planned meetings beginning in January and concluding with a recommended package in May (informational to the board), with the bond call potentially occurring in August to meet attorney general timelines. The schedule includes a School Finance 101 session, two nights of project presentations that will unveil costs and contingencies, campus tours where committee members will visit multiple schools, and table-based decision exercises that culminate in a final CovoiCE app vote in meeting seven.
Who participates: Johnson said each table will include a high‑school student and a mix of parents, educators and community leaders. She emphasized that the first meetings will focus on establishing norms and priorities and that the district will provide the financial capacity presentation before the committee is asked to put a bond together.
Why it matters: The process is the district’s mechanism to prioritize capital needs across a geographically large district and to build a community-backed recommendation should trustees pursue a bond. Trustee questions during the meeting focused on rotation of meeting locations across the district and on ensuring educators and principals are included in the table process.
Next steps: The committee will begin meeting in January, with the district planning to present recommendations to the board in May for information; Johnson said the district will return to trustees with updates as the committee proceeds.
