FHSD Facilities/Bond Issue

Francis Howell School District / News / October 2019 News / FHSD Facilities/Bond Issue

Posted on 09/30/2019

During 2018, FHSD worked proactively with the architectural firm Hoener Associates, Inc. to develop a Comprehensive Facilities Master Plan (CFMP). This plan identified both the current state of the District’s facilities as well as its future needs.

The District has 29 separate facilities, including three early childhood centers, ten elementary schools, five middle schools, three high schools, an administration building, and seven other sites. These sites include over 2.7 million square feet of building space under roof, with miles of plumbing and wiring and hundreds of mechanical systems. The average building in the District is 30 years old, and the oldest building is now more than 50 years old. Many systems, like HVAC, plumbing, and electrical, are reaching the end of their useful life.

The Facilities Committee, made up of Board members, building administrators, community members, and facilities managers, met over the spring and summer of 2019 to identify priority areas in the CFMP and to determine the initial phases of a multi-year plan to address facility issues. They presented those priority areas and potential costs to the Board of Education during work sessions in August and September. The FHSD Board of Education is considering placing a no tax rate increase bond issue on the ballot in April to pay for the construction, repair, and renovation costs outlined in the CFMP. The plan also includes the construction of a new Francis Howell North High School.

The District is at a critical juncture in terms of facilities. Older buildings require significant repair and maintenance. The CFMP is intended to help determine how best to address these issues, and the funds from bond sales approved by our voters would allow the District to do the work necessary to adequately meet the learning needs of our students today and in the future.