The New Caney ISD community approved a bond referendum for $200 million Saturday, May 5, allowing the school district to move forward with proposals to build a third comprehensive high school, replace Keefer Crossing Middle School and Porter Elementary School, and expand Woodridge Forest Middle School.
“I would like to thank the community for its continued support of public education, our schools, and the students and staff of New Caney ISD,” Superintendent Kenn Franklin said. “I would also like to thank the members of the long range planning committee whose work was an important contribution to the proposals in this referendum and the long term direction of the school district.”
The school district partnered with engineering, planning and program management services firm Lockwood, Andrews, & Newman during the past year to conduct a facilities condition assessment, develop construction design standards, and complete a long range facilities plan. A planning committee, comprised of parents, community members, and district staff, produced a long range facility report for the Board of Trustees in which potential projects were identified and prioritized based on campus capacities and demographic studies, condition of the district’s facilities, and instructional program considerations.
New Caney ISD is one of the fastest growing school districts in the greater Houston area and the entire state, growing by more than 30% over the last five years. Between 2011 and 2016, NCISD was the fastest growing school district in the Houston area and fourth in the state. Recent demographic studies project continued student enrollment growth in the coming years.
“It’s an exciting time in East Montgomery County as the community continues to grow and prosper,” Franklin said. “We are excited to get started on these projects that will help the district accommodate this growth and provide students great learning environments and opportunities.”
There will be no tax rate increase as a result of the approval of this bond referendum. Initial projects will begin with a design phase as early as fall 2018. The public can follow progress on these projects at newcanyeisd.org/bondnews.
