Progress continues to be made in laying the groundwork for several major projects approved by HPISD voters in the 2015 bond election.

The following is an update on plans for the district's facilities:

Upcoming bond sale

The Finance Committee of the HPISD School Board held a public meeting Jan. 14 to discuss, in part, the timing and sale of bonds to finance the construction projects. With the counsel of the district's bond market advisor, the committee reviewed several options and determined that selling $225 million in bonds with a 20-year amortization would be the most prudent course of action. Contributing to the decision is a very favorable bond market and HPISD's "Aaa" rating from Moody's Investor Service. The School Board has authorized the administration to sell the bonds with a sale expected to take place in February.

If the sale goes as anticipated, the tax rate increase is expected to be less than what was initially projected prior to the election. Look for further updates on the bond sale in February.

5th elementary campus

HPISD is continuing to work with Northway Christian Church to purchase land for a fifth elementary school. The talks are going as scheduled and the sale of property is expected to be completed this spring.

Designs for the school are still in the preliminary stage, and HPISD administrators are working with architects and focus groups on the layout of the interior of the campus. It is expected that the initial designs for the building will be presented at the Feb. 9 School Board meeting.

HPISD has engaged the services of Masterplan to assist with the permitting and zoning for the new elementary campus, which will be located within HPISD's boundaries and the City of Dallas. Masterplan has worked with hundreds of schools throughout Dallas to ensure that they met City Hall's requirements.

Construction firms

Proposals are currently being reviewed for a firm to complete the construction of the new and rebuilt elementary schools. An internal team is reviewing proposals submitted by six construction firms. The team will score the proposals and determine which firms will be interviewed by a selection advisory committee.

Seay Tennis Center

The facility updates at the high school will need to take place in a specific order because much of the construction will take place on land that is currently occupied. The first item on the list is to build a new Seay Tennis Center next to the current HPHS parking garage. The design of the new tennis center will likely be similar to the current structure.

As soon as the new tennis center is built, the current facility will be removed and the Multi-Sport/Natatorium/Professional Development center will be built in its place. After that building is completed, the current natatorium will be removed and replaced with classrooms.

Community committees

The School Board has voiced its support for forming several committees of community members to assist with facility planning. The committees' structure and membership is still in the early planning stages. The HPISD administrative team is currently working to create a focus group of community members to assist with the planning and design of the fifth elementary school. Committees for the other schools will be formed as the construction date for those schools draws closer.

HPISD is committed to keeping community members informed on the progress of the district's facilities. Updates will continue to be emailed to the district's parents, taxpayers and staff.

The order of the reconstruction of the three elementary schools slated to be rebuilt has not yet been decided. There have been no further significant developments regarding the design of Bradfield, Hyer and University Park Elementary Schools.