A Royal ISD facilities advisory committee Nov. 17 recommended $144 million worth of projects to be included in a May 2023 bond election.

Committee members, meanwhile, are set to hold their final meeting Dec. 8. At that meeting, committee members will select two people to present the committee’s recommendations to the board. Trustees will review and approve, or reject, the bond package for placement on the May ballot.

Most recommended projects approved for package

Committee members approved 36 of 37 items for the bond package. The only item rejected was a $5.25 million land acquisition, which would have been used for two elementary schools.

Approved items for the package include:

Safety and Security

• Perimeter fencing, $476,000.
• Exterior doors, $692,000.
• Security equipment, $1.8 million.
• Security vestibules, $1.1 million.

New construction

• New Pre-K elementary #2, $42.9 million.
• New Ag Science Expo Center, $12.9 million.
• Land acquisition (elementary school #2 and high school/junior high/ag center new campus), $10.6 million.
• Design for new junior high and new high school, $9.3 million.

Comprehensive renovations and remodels

• High school renovations (move ROTC and cosmetology to CTE, repurpose classrooms), $4.5 million.
• CTE addition (new culinary arts and classroom, lab and support spaces), $2.4 million.
• CTE addition (welding addition–20 stalls, project assembly space, classroom and support services), $2.3 million.
• Elementary school addition (increase capacity, add flex learning spaces, replace flooring and slab repairs), $8.3 million.
• Transportation center renovations, $4.7 million.

Athletics

• New turf field, $2.1 million.
• New track, $1.8 million.
• Visitor bleacher replacement (800 bleachers), $420,000.
• Home bleacher renovation (add 200 bleachers, restroom renovation and press box), $1.3 million.
• Site safety and security, $627,000
• Resurface tennis courts, $80,000.

Existing facilities

• Code compliance, $8 million.
• Roof leaks, $2.8 million.
• Building repairs, $8.1 million.
• Communication systems, $2.7 million.
• Food service equipment, $1.7 million.
• Casework/interior finish upgrades, $2.4 million.
• Technology upgrades $1.6 million.
• Flooring finishes, $2.1 million.
• A ceiling tile/grid replacement, $1.4 million.
• Furniture, $2.5 million.
• Site repairs, $1.1 million.
• Technology
• interactive flat panels for all classrooms, $700,000.
• Network infrastructure upgrades, $1 million.

New trustees to consider package

Royal school trustees are expected to consider and approve the bond package at their January meeting. The four newest trustees—Scott Hartman, Perla Mariela Aguilar, Cori Hillsman Vahalik and Jimmy Meador—took their oaths of office at a Nov. 21 special meeting.

Kimberly Bow is volunteering to help lead the bond campaign. She said the matter is “near and dear” to her, even though she lives in Fulshear and not in the Royal ISD. While she said she understood Royal ISD voters rejected the most recent bond election in November 2021, she said this time things feel different.

“There were so many great questions asked,” Bow said, adding that there was a lot of good information to be shared with families, friends and neighbors about the bond and what it entails for the district.

“I think this committee has put in a lot of hard work and they recognize the needs that are here,” Bow said.

Bow said for the bond election to go forward, trustees must approve the measure by Feb. 17, 2023.