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ALLEN ISD CALLS BOND ELECTION FOR NOVEMBER 2024
WRITTEN BY DAVID HICKS, CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
Allen Independent School District has introduced the 2024 Bond Proposal designed to modernize facilities, improve technology, and enhance safety and security for students across the district. With a focus on providing a consistent student experience, the bond proposal, totaling $447,499,700, comprises three main propositions: Proposition A for campus improvements, security upgrades, and other items; Proposition B for track resurfacing; and Proposition C for technology device upgrades. Allen ISD aims to continue its track record of successfully completing bond projects on time and within budget, as demonstrated with the bond projects from 2020.
Proposition A accounts for $419,062,253 and focuses on campus improvements, safety and security upgrades, and capital improvements. Several schools, including Curtis Middle School, Ford Middle School, Anderson Early Childhood School, and Olson, Cheatham, Green and Norton elementary schools, are slated for significant redesigns of their learning spaces. Allen High School will also see the addition of a multi-purpose complex, providing lecture-hall classrooms, locker rooms, training areas, and 120 yards of multi-use space. These changes aim to offer students enhanced access to educational experiences across the district.
Safety and security are a priority in Proposition A, which includes the addition of more campus cameras and reconfiguration of the main entrances at certain campuses to create more secure visitor access points. The proposal also incorporates critical safety updates to ensure a secure environment for both students and staff.
Proposition A would also purchase new school buses for student transportation, increased WiFi network connectivity throughout the district, and provide playground repairs and/or replacements at each elementary school. Shade structures would also be placed over all playground structures. Additionally. Prop A would repair the tennis courts at Lowery Freshman Center, which are currently not able to be used. The tennis courts will also receive tiered seating for spectator viewing, and will be striped for pickleball, making the facilities accessible for recreational use by the broader Allen community.
Proposition B, valued at $5,359,654, focuses on resurfacing the tracks at Curtis Middle School and Lowery Freshman Center. The resurfaced tracks will provide safe, durable surfaces for both students and the community.
Proposition C allocates $23,077,793 to upgrade student technology devices as part of the district’s Empower 1:1 Program. This includes refreshing and updating devices, ensuring that each student has access to the devices as part of the
Empower 1:1 program in an increasingly digital learning environment. The district plans to implement a five-year lifecycle management system for these devices, ensuring that the technology remains current and supports student learning
Allen ISD prides itself on fiscal responsibility, and the bond proposal reflects this commitment. The district’s property tax rate has not increased in more than a decade and remains at $1.1258, the lowest rate since 1993. Allen ISD can fund all projects in the 2024 bond proposal using the existing tax rate.
All Allen ISD campuses will benefit from these updates, assuring that students throughout the district have access to modern, safe, and well-equipped learning environments. The 2024 Bond Proposal is the result of input from the Project Kids Committee, which consisted of 81 students, parents, staff, and community leaders.
Early voting for the bond begins on October 21 and runs through November 1 culminating with Election Day on November 5. Allen ISD encourages voters to participate and have a say in shaping the future of the district.
For more information on the bond and how it will impact the community, visit the Allen ISD bond website at AllenisdBond.com.
