October 21, 2022

The Godley ISD Long Range Facility Planning Committee prioritized future building needs during its fifth meeting on October 19, 2022, at R.B. Godley Elementary School.

Jeff Robert, a managing director with Hilltop Securities, reviewed the school district’s financial position and the general structure of bonds to pay for new buildings and capital projects.  Robert also explained the interest and sinking tax rate, which is used only to pay down debt as well as interest payments and is separate from the maintenance and operations tax rate that goes towards salaries, utilities and other general operating expenses.

State law requires school districts to include a confusing ballot notice for all bond elections that reads “this is a property tax increase.”  However, Robert reported that any bond approval would not result in a tax rate increase for Godley homeowners or businesses.  New bonds instead would be financed through new growth.

The group also reviewed estimated costs for facility options developed from prior discussions.  Each member evaluated the list and selected their own priorities from among those projects.

This meeting followed opening sessions that launched the LRFPC’s discovery and planning process and focused on the vision for education in the school district, asking the question “What do we want for our kids at Godley ISD?”  

At the opening session on August 31, discussions centered on a “yesterday, today, tomorrow” exercise for participants to examine topics including facilities, technology, infrastructure, academics, instructional delivery methods, traditions and more.  Each team listed items - those from the past that should be discontinued, for today that are or should be implemented now, and for the future – and then reported out to the large group at the end of the meeting.

During the second meeting on September 7, committee members participated in a Vision Board exercise where they reviewed a series of images for instructional settings as well as other images of spaces outside of classrooms.  During break-out discussions, small groups evaluated the images and noted pros and cons for each depiction of settings that included open-concept arrangements, a variety of seating options and virtual reality as well as other technology devices.

The third meeting on September 21 featured presentations on growth in district enrollment, current construction projects, and a history of past bond initiatives. Superintendent Dr. Rich Dear reported that enrollment continues to climb with the number of students increasing 67% over the last ten years, with 1,672 students enrolled in 2012 compared to just over 2,800 for the current school year.  Enrollment has increased an average of 7% annually but that growth rate could increase to 15% each year over the next few years. Demographers predict that the district will add nearly 900 new students in the near future and add 5,000 over the next ten years. 

At the fourth meeting on October 5, committee members reviewed existing district facilities as well as the campus capacities for each current school and then engaged in a capacity analysis exercise to plan for new campuses and campus additions to support 5,000 additional students.

Discussions centered on growth opportunities for future campuses as well as the master plan for Godley High School, where current construction is adding a four-story career and technical education center with over 40 classrooms and instructional spaces, a competition gymnasium and a fine arts wing.  The committee also reviewed 2021 bond projects postponed due to inflationary costs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The facilities group includes a mix of parents, students, community members and district staff numbering almost 60 strong.

The committee will hold several meetings over the fall and will develop recommendations for the school board to accommodate growth.  The group will consider needs for current campuses as well as future facility and infrastructure needs.