DALLAS -- Corpus Christi Independent School District, Texas trustees are considering a $250 million bond proposition in November to finance a major reorganization of district schools and to upgrade facilities.
At school board meetings in May, district officials discussed closing three elementary schools and one middle school while consolidating four elementary schools into two facilities and two middle schools into one. Two of the middle schools would then be closed.
Plans call for the new schools to be designed with more closed campuses that offer better security, district officials said.
The school board would spend between $40 million and $60 million to upgrade high school campuses, improve athletic facilities, build four-lane tracks at 11 middle schools and build a new addition to an elementary school.
CCISD is phasing out the "wing" style school, which is less secure than the newer "closed" campuses.
Corpus Christi ISD is rated AA by Standard & Poor's and Aa2 by Moody's Investors Service. The district's bonds receive triple-A ratings with a guarantee from the Texas Permanent School Fund.
Voters passed a 2010 bond proposal that called for construction of a $70 million high school and $25 million middle school, but overruns have driven those those costs to $117.3 million and $44.4 million respectively.
The district dipped into its fund balance to cover a $12 million shortfall last year but is reluctant to cover the $37 million gap for fear of a ratings downgrade.
The district's new Southside high school and middle school will open a year later than planned after construction bids came in millions over budget. Carroll High School, which was scheduled for replacement, will remain open.
A recent demographic study showed high school enrollment could grow by 1,500 students during the next five years.
Districtwide enrollment has declined slightly in recent years. In fiscal 2010, enrollment fell by less than 1% from the prior year to 38,041, according to Moody's.
The district attributed the decreases partially to competition with neighboring school districts and to the migration of residents to the suburbs, outside of the district's area.
School officials told Moody's that the addition of more modern school campuses will help enrollment growth in the coming years.
