Klein ISD Bond Plan 2008

[Chris]

Time when Klein ISD released these plans last week I have been looking and admireing the new Klein ISD High School #5 since I want to become an Architect. PBK Architects did a tremendous job with this design. This design will be more impressive than the Klein Collins High School design in my opinion. The floorplan is arrange so well and the exterior of the building has so much character and detail.

Front Elevation-Klein ISD High School #5

Front Elevation II-Klein ISD High School #5

1st Floorplan-Klein ISD High School #5

2nd Floorplan-Klein ISD High School #5

Siteplan-Klein ISD High School #5

[crunchtastic]

Wow, no wonder people out there are so into their bond elections. That looks better than half the 3rd tier college campuses in this state. Very stately. I really feel for kids in less-nice school buildings.

I'm surprised Klein ISD doesn't have its own flag, flying from the flagpole on the rendering.

[Chris]

Construction will start in December 2008 according to Klein ISD.

[Concord]

The school board has not yet approved the exterior of the building. They have 3 designs, but they will likely approve the one you posted. They will vote on this at next month's meeting.

[Chris]

Klein ISD made PBK Architects reduce the size of the building from 644,000 square feet to 620,000 square feet. The main entrance was also lowered in height, and the Central Plant was taken out of the design due to cost effeciency.

[Concord]

Klein ISD made PBK Architects reduce the size of the building from 644,000 square feet to 620,000 square feet. The main entrance was also lowered in height, and the Central Plant was taken out of the design due to cost effeciency.

The changes save $168,000. Yea!

[Aldine]

Wow, Aldine's 2007 Bond was approved and along with it, a high school at half the cost ($66.8 Million). I hope they use PBK to bring a nicer looking school to our area. So far, the only good looking ones were the ones built in the 90s until now. I hope HS #5 for Aldine is half-as-nice as this.

[melissa]

http://redinktexas.blogspot.com/2008/07/ho...d-get-away.html

this is the truth. Klein isd is as corrupt as Washington DC.

[ChampionsAdam]

http://redinktexas.blogspot.com/2008/07/ho...d-get-away.html

this is the truth. Klein isd is as corrupt as Washington DC.

Certainly not a surprise to me, I've said it from the beginning.

[ENGcons]

http://redinktexas.blogspot.com/2008/07/ho...d-get-away.html

this is the truth. Klein isd is as corrupt as Washington DC.

Actually I am glad that KISD was smart enough to know some idiot was going to try and sue them. After watching what has happened in Waller, and HISD with their bonds being held up, and projects that were needed being held I would have done the same thing. By having their law firm file this and avoid a lawsuit they just saved the taxpayers millions of dollars that would have been wasted due to somebody throwing a tantrum about not getting their way.

[Concerned]

Actually I am glad that KISD was smart enough to know some idiot was going to try and sue them. After watching what has happened in Waller, and HISD with their bonds being held up, and projects that were needed being held I would have done the same thing. By having their law firm file this and avoid a lawsuit they just saved the taxpayers millions of dollars that would have been wasted due to somebody throwing a tantrum about not getting their way.

ENGcons,

Why would you be glad to see a governing entity that had such a close vote with 10 of its 15 polling areas voting down the bond be able to go behind those same people backs, so they could get their way? Did it save me tax dollars from waste or just even more from the waste in the bond plan and care of this district to this point?

You and Bill Clinton have alot in common...You waffle on your stances on issues. In the beginning, you were moving against this bond design. What changed your mind? Most people against this bond were not against a bond, just this one's plan. The district's push was for relieving overcrowding in the schools. This plan does not for five years, but in the mean time we will have spent almost $250,000,000 on 1 new high school and 1 replaced. Does that make fiscal sense in the state of our district and need for many more schools sooner. Please remember that with or without this bond, the new elementary would have been built and that with the 1 new, 1 rebuild and additions to the other schools, the high school capacity will be well over the need in 2013. It will take another 3-5 years to get to capacity. Thus the 6th high school will never be needed leaving all the highest growth area driving south 10 -14 miles to the new high school.

Here are several observations made over the course of this election. I know you will give me your two cents no matter what, so I do not really need to ask for them...

1. Why has KHS had to continually say that they must keep their auditorium so cold to keep the mold away? Was the brick not replaced due to faulty construction and isn't it the way the other schools mold remediation was corrected by removing the brick? Would that not be fiscal fraud to remove the brick and not correct that issue and still be planning just to knock it down again in 4 years?

2. With a new state of the art police station right next to the school, would it not be enough security (way more than any of the other schools) to protect the students from a possible intruder? Which, by the way, KOHS actually did have someone get off a train from the tracks that run behind it and come into the school.

3. Where I agree that students should not have to be in an a construction zone, is it fair to send novice drivers to drive through major construction (Grand Parkway) for their years in High School when they are 8 to 14 miles away and there will be 3 schools closer to them and at least 2 that could hold temp buildings? Just think if you have extracurriculars that keep you late at school, young drivers will get to drive home through the construction, late at night for that long distance. Heaven forbid they ride the bus with the constuction...without it they leave home at 6:30am. I guess they will get to move that to 6am with the traffic. I should not forget the gas cost too for the distance and the traffic jams.

4. The year slated for the reopening of KHS is 2013. Is that ironic that it will be the 75th Anniversary of the district? If I remember the 2004 PASA report called for a new High School for 2010 for overcrowding and if KHS has been in such disrepair, why have we waited so long? I truly believe parity is a must for all the students in Klein ISD, but it needs to start with academics first and foremost. True I.Q. 's can't be changed, but minimally putting the class ratios the same on all campuses would help and a huge increase in achievement might be evident.

5. Most of the money for the pro PAC group came from

developers (1 that used every last different name subdivision to break up its contributions),

the architects to gain from this bond along with the construction company,

the banks that have many of the districts accounts,

donations in kind from the copying shop that helped with their publications,

the district's law firm representative,

the school board members and central admin or at least their spouses,

may others in this same range that I can't remember,

and last but not least the handful of families that would directly benefit from the plan (but their donations do not equal much of the actual funds raised).

Most of the money from the other group (I do not want to use anti because it is not anti bond just anti plan)came from

Families from across the district, not just one area

and maybe a handful of businesses.

Being of German descent, I understand the overzealous need for tradition far too well. This district can retain that, but also needs to make room for the others and their needs. KHS may have been the first, but all of the area schools now make up KISD and the board needs to start making that the priority.

[ENGcons]

Actually if you must know I voted against the bond. I just don't think filing a lawsuit that will spend the taxpayers money to defend, and putting some of these needed projects on hold, to find probably nothing is going to do anyone any good.

The bond passed, deal with it. But don't use my tax dollars to throw your pity party.

[Chris]

Klein ISD Intermediate School #9 will be a repeat design of Krimmel Intermediate with slight changes to modify the new school. Krimmel Intermediate School is 177,000 sq. ft, and the new school will be approximately 196,713 sq.ft. One major modify to the plan was a second gymnasium, that tacked on about 10,000 sq.ft alone. It's amazing how Krimmel is one of Klein ISD's smaller Intermediate campuses and the new school will be one of Klein ISD's larger Intermediate campuses, and it's the same floorplan and design. The smallest changes can tack on alot of square footage. The board will approve the modified design on Tuesday.

[Chris]

Klein ISD will vote on October 14, 2008 for the names of 3 new Klein ISD Schools.

Elementary #26:

Mueller Elementary School

Elementary #27:

Blackshear Elementary School

Intermediate #9:

Ulrich Intermediate School

[klein]

Klein Oak Addition

[klein]

2. With a new state of the art police station right next to the school, would it not be enough security (way more than any of the other schools) to protect the students from a possible intruder? Which, by the way, KOHS actually did have someone get off a train from the tracks that run behind it and come into the school.

It's because there are so many doors at Klein that they can not keep everybody safe even if the administrators try.

[klein]

Klein Collins addition

[ENGcons]

There is a workshop this evening where the school board is going to discuss scaling back projects in this Bond package due to the current growth not reflective of what the District said it would be. Some projects scaled back on size and some project could be cut all together.

cough.............Klein High School........cough

Because of the current economy growth has stalled in the area and it seems KISD has more than it needs in the bond. Can't wait to see how this Hot Potato pans out.

[pineda]

Yes! That IS good news, ENGcons! Keep us informed as to what the board decides to do, please!

[pineda]

story from chron.com

From the article:

[klein]

I think that Dr. Cain and all of the Board members should resign.

[klein]

The buildings circled should be rebuilt.

or they could just rebuild the Main Building that way they could keep students on campus

[Chris]

I personally dont think any of the Bond Projects should be delayed especially the Blackshear Elementary School. Other Elementary campuses in that area need some relief.

[ENGcons]

Actually the word is that two new Elementaries are to be cut, and HS #5 delayed either 1 or 2 years. The Taj Mahal which is to be Klein High School is still going to be built. That should be the first project that gets scaled back.

If you want to cast blame the Superintendent Jim Cain should be ground zero. This is his bond, he is the one that forced this on the community and the School Board for that matter, and he is the one that did not listen to the outcry from the public in the forums about the economy and that this bond was too aggressive. If anyone needs to resign it is Cain.

Let's face it, the only reason this passed is because the KHS crowd wants their new HS and the District meaning Jim Cain promoted that fact in that attendance zone heavily and got them out to vote for their new HS. The MAJORITY of the the remaining areas in the district voted this down.

[klein]

The high school site has been cleared.

[Chris]

The high school site has been cleared.

Actually I believe it's the Ulrich Intermediate Site that has been cleared. Construction could start anytime now.

[pineda]

Sent as a mass e-mail from Klein ISD today:

On January 13, the Klein ISD Board of Trustees approved a revision of the timetable for construction of facilities that are a part of the $646.9 million bond package approved by voters in May, 2008. The revisions were presented to the board after careful consideration of the current economic conditions, enrollment actuals and projections, as well as the financial ramifications to the district related to modifying the current construction schedules.

In consideration of the unknowns about student population growth which is lower than projected for 2008-2009, the bond rate, and declining property values, the KISD administration requested a delay of a year on the affected projects.

The delay will affect the construction of High School #5, Blackshear Elementary School, an early childhood- pre-kindergarten campus, Elementary School #28, Intermediate School #10, and the Klein High School renovation.

Among the projects that will be delayed, only High School #5 is under contract at this time with an architect and construction manager, but termination provisions exist in the construction manager's contract that can be executed without penalty to the district.

Projects that will continue on schedule are as follows: Mueller Elementary School that will open for the 2009- 2010 school year, Ulrich Intermediate School scheduled for completion in the summer of 2010, the classroom additions to Klein Oak and Klein Collins, the south transportation center to be completed in the summer of 2009, the renovation of the Annex to be completed in 2011, the agriculture/staff development multipurpose building to be completed in 2010, and the addition to the Klein Instructional Center scheduled for completion in 2011.

[Aldine]

Klein pushes so hard to win this bond election, then pushes the projects back. Just another way to piss off Klein ISD residents.

[Forest]

Klein pushes so hard to win this bond election, then pushes the projects back. Just another way to piss off Klein ISD residents.

Well... some of us down in the South end of the district have little smiles on our faces today. I'm sorry... but it's just very enjoyable considering how so many people like to criticize our schools ... yet Wunderlich has a brand new, very large, Fine Arts addition that opened this fall from the 04 Bond money ... and Klein Forest got a very nice cafeteria remodel and beautiful new wing from that bond issue also. So, for now, we're good down here. And there's no question where my children will be zoned or if they'll have to spend half of their high school years on a bus to another school etc. etc.

[Chris]

If anyone has passed by, construction on Ulrich Intermediate School is going well, they already have the main drop-off loop and a portion of the parking lot laid now. One fact I pointed out before I believe was how close this school will be to Spring Cypress Rd. There really isn't that much space between the parking lot and Spring Cypress Rd. Krimmel has a large amount of space from the school and FM 2920, but that plot of land is totally different from the Ulrich site.

Construction on Mueller Elementary School is really going pretty fast also. Construction crews have bricked a large portion if not all of the building. The entire parking lot was laid months ago. The tin roofing has also been laid, and it is green just like the roofing on Frank Elementary. Unlike Ulrich, Mueller sits in the middle of knowhere behing Krimmel.