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Klein ISD Bond Plan 2008


Chris

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Why will you be voting no on the Bond Plan?

How is this going to benefit my neighborhood? Why should I pay for new schools to the north when Klein Forest is over-crowded, has a negative reputation that effects peoples decision to buy in my neighborhood? Klein has ignored the residents living in Greenwood Forest, Huntwick and Fountainhead.

I've spoken with many of my neighbors who feel the same way. They got the bond through in 2004 and now they are coming at us once again. Nevermind the fact that over the last 2 years property assessments in Greenwood on average increased by $20,000 per home, what are they doing with this money?

I don't think that bussing the students up to Klein is the answer, it would make more sense to add another high school to the south and then re-align the district pulling some of Klein over to Klein Forest. Should they decide to re-align and build a school to the south then I would be interested in the bond.

Honestly, would you send your children to Klein Forest or to another Klein school given the choice? My vote is No to the bond.

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How is this going to benefit my neighborhood? Why should I pay for new schools to the north when Klein Forest is over-crowded, has a negative reputation that effects peoples decision to buy in my neighborhood? Klein has ignored the residents living in Greenwood Forest, Huntwick and Fountainhead.

I've spoken with many of my neighbors who feel the same way. They got the bond through in 2004 and now they are coming at us once again. Nevermind the fact that over the last 2 years property assessments in Greenwood on average increased by $20,000 per home, what are they doing with this money?

I don't think that bussing the students up to Klein is the answer, it would make more sense to add another high school to the south and then re-align the district pulling some of Klein over to Klein Forest. Should they decide to re-align and build a school to the south then I would be interested in the bond.

Honestly, would you send your children to Klein Forest or to another Klein school given the choice? My vote is No to the bond.

One solution that could work that Klein ISD has not thought of is to build a 9th grade Center for Klein Forest. That would eliminate 1,000 students alone. I think that would be the best solution. All they have to do is include it into the bond. There's enough land adjacent to Klein Forest to construct a 130,000-200,000 square foot facility just for freshmen students. Therfore the main campus would have only 2,500 10-12 grade students at the most.

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One solution that could work that Klein ISD has not thought of is to build a 9th grade Center for Klein Forest. That would eliminate 1,000 students alone. I think that would be the best solution. All they have to do is include it into the bond. There's enough land adjacent to Klein Forest to construct a 130,000-200,000 square foot facility just for freshmen students. Therfore the main campus would have only 2,500 10-12 grade students at the most.

They have. they just don't want to build one

http://www.kleinisd.net/docs/kisd.shapefu.pdf

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I don't think that bussing the students up to Klein is the answer, it would make more sense to add another high school to the south and then re-align the district pulling some of Klein over to Klein Forest. Should they decide to re-align and build a school to the south then I would be interested in the bond.

So, when will KISD announce the exact locations of its schools?

If it does not before the bond, will it be a yes or no? Will it be based on estimates of likelihood for a school to the south?

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story from the Houston Chronicle

from the article:

"When I talk to people about the (proposed) bond issue they cringe at first, but then I explain the details," said Marcia Baulch, a Klein ISD parent and member of the district's 2008 bond steering committee, which included parents, residents, business owners, teachers, administrators and staff. "It is how you present it to the public. If this doesn't happen property values will be affected, and for most people their largest investment is their home. I think we can sell $638 million to the community if they truly understand what could happen if the district delayed building schools and other projects until it was too late."

Several steering committee members said the Klein High School replacement project would probably provoke the most criticism and opposition. The proposed $130 million project calls for the demolition and reconstruction of several of the school's older buildings, some dating from the early 1960s, and the relocation of the entire Klein High student body to the district's proposed fifth high school on Spring Cypress Road during the two-year construction process.

The school district will hold four community forums, one at each high school in April, if the board calls a May election.

The Klein Bond Political Action Committee will hold its first meeting Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at First Service Credit Union, 9621 Sam Houston Parkway North.

from pineda:

If the bond steering committee does not remove the Klein High School replacement project from the list for the bond election, I won't be voting for the bond, period, no matter how much Marcia thinks she can "sell" this to me.

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story from the Houston Chronicle

from the article:

"When I talk to people about the (proposed) bond issue they cringe at first, but then I explain the details," said Marcia Baulch, a Klein ISD parent and member of the district's 2008 bond steering committee, which included parents, residents, business owners, teachers, administrators and staff. "It is how you present it to the public. If this doesn't happen property values will be affected, and for most people their largest investment is their home. I think we can sell $638 million to the community if they truly understand what could happen if the district delayed building schools and other projects until it was too late."

Several steering committee members said the Klein High School replacement project would probably provoke the most criticism and opposition. The proposed $130 million project calls for the demolition and reconstruction of several of the school's older buildings, some dating from the early 1960s, and the relocation of the entire Klein High student body to the district's proposed fifth high school on Spring Cypress Road during the two-year construction process.

The school district will hold four community forums, one at each high school in April, if the board calls a May election.

The Klein Bond Political Action Committee will hold its first meeting Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at First Service Credit Union, 9621 Sam Houston Parkway North.

from pineda:

If the bond steering committee does not remove the Klein High School replacement project from the list for the bond election, I won't be voting for the bond, period, no matter how much Marcia thinks she can "sell" this to me.

Yeah, You have a point and I agree. The whole Klein High Scghool situation is just crazy and dumb. In the report from the Chronicle, It says there's money for additions to Klein Oak High School. Why would Klein Oak need additions? This may be the hardest bond that Klein ISD trys to pass. If the Bond Election is in May, How will land for the new schools be cleared in March and April? Elementary Schools 26 and 27 will start construction in March and the Strack Fine Arts Center will start construction in April.

Those 9th grade centers are simply band-aids for School Districts too cheap to build new schools. Spring ISD did that with Westfield. Didn't seem to do them a whole lot of good.

I can see your point very clearly now that you put it that way. Klein ISD should just build another High school south of Klein Forest.

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Given the situation, I think KISD is doing the smartest thing by shifting enrollment Westward. It makes the most sense from a fiscal standpoint and provides the most benefit for students and residents.

I also think it's a great idea, but yet and still we can't forget about other parts of the district like the Klein Forest Zone.

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Those 9th grade centers are simply band-aids for School Districts too cheap to build new schools. Spring ISD did that with Westfield. Didn't seem to do them a whole lot of good.

A lot of schools have the Ninth Grade Center built in the high school I see this a lot in Katy and in Cy-Fair.

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I also think it's a great idea, but yet and still we can't forget about other parts of the district like the Klein Forest Zone.

Yes, but you forget that Klein Forest was recently expanded/upgraded, and the benefit the students there will derive from having less crowded schools with more individual attention.

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As I stated before, to come back to the taxpayers less than 4 years later to ask for more money when the property assessments over the last 2 years has increased considerably is disgusting.

I am having a difficult time swallowing tearing down parts of Klein High. It would seem to me that instead of tearing down why not maintain? Roofing, paint, carpeting and tile would be alot less expensive than tearing down and rebuilding. The high school that I attended is now almost 60 years old and was renovated and not torn down, the same can be said for the schools that my parents attended 40 years ago and grandparents attended over 70 years ago.

Can we assume that every few years Klein is going to come to us and ask for more money? Between escalating tax assessments and bonds homeowners will be feeling the pinch most definitely.

We all have to live within our budget and Klein needs to do the same.

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As I stated before, to come back to the taxpayers less than 4 years later to ask for more money when the property assessments over the last 2 years has increased considerably is disgusting.

I am having a difficult time swallowing tearing down parts of Klein High. It would seem to me that instead of tearing down why not maintain? Roofing, paint, carpeting and tile would be alot less expensive than tearing down and rebuilding. The high school that I attended is now almost 60 years old and was renovated and not torn down, the same can be said for the schools that my parents attended 40 years ago and grandparents attended over 70 years ago.

Can we assume that every few years Klein is going to come to us and ask for more money? Between escalating tax assessments and bonds homeowners will be feeling the pinch most definitely.

We all have to live within our budget and Klein needs to do the same.

Good post. I've heard others in the area say that they do not care to spend upwards of $150 million to re-build Klein High at this time, but they are entertaining the idea of a "Berry Center" type stadium to be built with bond money.

BTW, I drove out to Portofino Center and checked out the new Woodlands area stadium about a month ago. The huge building being built next door to the football stadium is not a basketball stadium, but a natatorium instead. The Woodlands area has a very big following when it comes to swimming, I would imagine.

But, yeah, if the bond committee doesn't pull the Klein High re-build out of the proposal, I will vote no to the whole thing.

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KLEIN ISD INVITATION TO PARENTS

(Adults only please)

Parents of Klein ISD students are invited to attend a community dinner hosted by Superintendent Jim Cain.

A pizza and salad dinner will be provided free to parents beginning at 6:30 p.m.

A district informational update and a question and answer session will follow.

Please call to reserve your seat!

What: Community Dinner

When: March 6, 2008, 6:30

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One thing that knowone probably has thought of that needs to be on the bond, is to construct a Marquee Sign for Klein Collins High School. It should have been constructed during construction but it wasn't. The newer schools have them built durung construction. KCHS is the only school in Klein ISD that doesn't have one to my knowledge. Many events and activities take place and the community dosen't know about them like they would for the other schools.

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Many of the HISD schools are now getting electronic marquees. Does Klein ISD prefer traditional marquees?

Yeah, Klein ISD doesn't use those kind. Some schools that have electronic Marquees have companies that have donated them to them, like Spring High School's donater is Planet Ford.

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story from the Houston Chronicle

from the article:

"When I talk to people about the (proposed) bond issue they cringe at first, but then I explain the details," said Marcia Baulch, a Klein ISD parent and member of the district's 2008 bond steering committee, which included parents, residents, business owners, teachers, administrators and staff. "It is how you present it to the public. If this doesn't happen property values will be affected, and for most people their largest investment is their home. I think we can sell $638 million to the community if they truly understand what could happen if the district delayed building schools and other projects until it was too late."

Several steering committee members said the Klein High School replacement project would probably provoke the most criticism and opposition. The proposed $130 million project calls for the demolition and reconstruction of several of the school's older buildings, some dating from the early 1960s, and the relocation of the entire Klein High student body to the district's proposed fifth high school on Spring Cypress Road during the two-year construction process.

The school district will hold four community forums, one at each high school in April, if the board calls a May election.

The Klein Bond Political Action Committee will hold its first meeting Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at First Service Credit Union, 9621 Sam Houston Parkway North.

from pineda:

If the bond steering committee does not remove the Klein High School replacement project from the list for the bond election, I won't be voting for the bond, period, no matter how much Marcia thinks she can "sell" this to me.

Sometimes it's cheaper to rebuild a school than renavate it

And besides a part of the ceiling collapsed in the Main Building today

Yeah, You have a point and I agree. The whole Klein High Scghool situation is just crazy and dumb. In the report from the Chronicle, It says there's money for additions to Klein Oak High School. Why would Klein Oak need additions? This may be the hardest bond that Klein ISD trys to pass. If the Bond Election is in May, How will land for the new schools be cleared in March and April? Elementary Schools 26 and 27 will start construction in March and the Strack Fine Arts Center will start construction in April.

I can see your point very clearly now that you put it that way. Klein ISD should just build another High school south of Klein Forest.

Klein Oak is expected to grow and it is currently overcrowed.

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Sometimes it's cheaper to rebuild a school than renavate it

And besides a part of the ceiling collapsed in the Main Building today

Klein Oak is expected to grow and it is currently overcrowed.

Again... Maintenance. When my ceiling collapsed due to a water heater malfunction I had the ceiling repaired, I did not tear down my house. When wood rots you replace it, when the house needs paint you paint it and so on. Again, I would imagine it much less expensive to repair the problems than to raze the structures. It seems to me that Klein would prefer to tear down the older structures to make way for new, We'd all like new! I'd like a lot of new things, I can think of 50 things I'd like to do to my house but need to budget for, it's certainly alot easier to spend other peoples money. Take care of what you have and you won't need to hit the taxpayers up every 3 and a half years. As I said before the increased tax assessments over the last 2 years on the homes in Klein should be put to better use and to come to the taxpayers less than 4 years after the last bond is a slap in the face... as well as the wallet.

The new home builders should be assessed impact fees which are passed along to the buyer in the purchase price, this would lessen the burden of existing homeowners who are already paying high taxes.

I do not feel the district has been wise at all times with it's spending or it's decisions.

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Why would Klein Oak need additions?

The only reason Klein Oak would need additions is because instead of building two new high schools, now the plan is to build only one new high school and do a re-build for Klein High, so the bond committee has proposed adding a "wing" onto Klein Oak to handle the incoming population. Brilliant? Yeah, not so much...

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I've just learned that the location of Elementary School #26 will be located directly behind Krimmel Intermediate School. The district already owned the land which was originally planned for a new Multi-Purpose Stadium. I think the school will be connected to the Klein Meadows Subdivision. The Architectural and Siteplans are already drawn up.

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Really? With Benignus Elementary already directly across the street from Krimmel? Are you sure? Why in the world would the district place two elementary schools THAT close to each other? Why not just add on to Benignus? Weird...

Yeah I'm sure, I saw the floorplans and siteplan. Kaiser and Greenwood Forest Elementary Schools are on each side of Klein Forest High School. Due to the growth in the FM 2920 area, It won't be a problem at all, Elem. School #26 might be full at 2 years of existance.

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These are more pictures of Frank and Benignus Elementary Schools. Elementary Schools #26-27 will be an exact repeat design with minor changes like adding Billingual Classes in each pod and eliminating 2 outdoor Courtyards. I put some Krimmel Pictures in here also. Also in the newer schools Klein ISD uses Ceramic Tile instaed of Terrazzo Flooring in wet areas.

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Benignus Elementary School

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Frank Elementary School Cafeteria-Inside

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Frank Elementary Gym

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Frank Elementary Pod Courtyard

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Frank Elementary Gym-Inside

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Frank Elementary Main Entrance-Bell Tower

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Benignus Elementary School

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Frank Elementary School

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Benignus Elementary School

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Krimmel Intermediate School

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Krimmel Intermediate Long View

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Krimmel Intermediate Main Entrance

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Krimmel Intermediate Library-Cafeteria

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That "pod courtyard" looks like something from a prison movie, and a "bell tower", what the heck? Very odd.

I still don't get that a new elementary will be built behind Krimmel. Within a stone's throw of there, you have Schultz Elementary, Metzler Elementary, Northampton Elementary, Roth Elementary and Benignus Elementary. Within the same area, you have Hildebrandt Intermediate and that's it for middle schools, and Klein Oak is it for high schools. What gives? Is there only "growth" in this area at the elementary school level?

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That "pod courtyard" looks like something from a prison movie, and a "bell tower", what the heck? Very odd.

I still don't get that a new elementary will be built behind Krimmel. Within a stone's throw of there, you have Schultz Elementary, Metzler Elementary, Northampton Elementary, Roth Elementary and Benignus Elementary. Within the same area, you have Hildebrandt Intermediate and that's it for middle schools, and Klein Oak is it for high schools. What gives? Is there only "growth" in this area at the elementary school level?

It's called a Bell Tower because ther's a bell inside of it/Main Entrance.

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