An advisory committee of about 60 community stakeholders is expected to be formed Monday as Brownsboro Independent School District officials prepare to set a tax election in November to finance renovations and new construction on four of its campuses. Above is the computer lab at Brownsboro High School. At right are the school’s theatre arts building and the entrance to the football stadium. An advisory committee of about 60 community stakeholders will be formed on Monday as Dr. Arnold Oates of Texas School Planning provides a list of scenarios for how the Brownsboro Independent School District could use a bond proposal to renovate its campuses and build others over the next decade, Superintendent Elton Caldwell said.

"To correct every problem we've got, it would have to be done over that time. That's why the committee is going to be so important. We'll have a lot of different ways to attack it."

The oldest of the district's six campuses - Brownsboro Elementary School, Chandler Elementary School, Brownsboro High School, and Brownsboro Junior High School — need extensive renovations or expansions. The elementary schools, though, are in the worst condition of the four and expanding them again does not appear to be feasible.

Chandler Elementary was built in 1969 and expanded five times between 1977 and 1995. Brownsboro Elementary was built in 1968, and it was expanded four times between 1972 and 1995.

While the Chandler campus could expand again if it removes its playground area, Brownsboro Elementary cannot even do that. The school is situated between the district administration building and other facilities to the east, Brownsboro Junior High to the south, and Brownsboro High School to the west.

Brownsboro High School is the youngest campus of the group. Built in 1987, it has been expanded just once and appears to be in the best condition. Brownsboro Junior High was built in 1981 and has never been expanded.

Paul Bryant Photos All four schools are at capacity.

"We have problems at every campus, obviously," Caldwell said. "Dr. Oates has come up with different scenarios to cover all these problems. The committee will have the authority to pick scenarios or come up with new ones."

At Chandler Elementary, limited parking areas for buses and other vehicles is always a concern, with traffic usually stalling on FM 315 during drop-off and pick-up times.

Like the other schools, it has run out of classroom space and its cafeteria is too small. Multiple access points to the building also pose safety risks.

At Brownsboro Elementary, the campus has simply outgrown itself. It has no room to expand a fifth time, and district and school officials have acknowledged a new campus is needed.

Students at Brownsboro Junior High have their own issues. They must cross Ingram Street to attend classes at buildings that share the same property with the district administration building, and band students have to cross a field and a loading and unloading zone to reach the band hall at Brownsboro High.

At the high school, its athletic facilities and instruction space for student-athletes are inadequate and outdated.

"We can't afford to do the whole nine yards," Caldwell said. "This is a 10-year plan, and we have to figure out what we can live with. But I've been impressed with Dr. Oates and the planning he's done to this point. He's very thorough."

Oates told the Statesman in December a number of options would be available to the district, including building two new elementary schools and a high school, and increasing the number of students who attend its two intermediate schools.

But new construction would require more land and utilities, both of which could be barriers in the district's capital-improvements plan. Oates said the district owns a tract of land west of Brownsboro where an elementary school could be built.

While some voters may prefer a new high school between Chandler and Brownsboro, it might be difficult for the district to acquire enough land in that area for construction, he said.

Texas School Planning was hired last October to consult the district on its capital-improvements plan. District officials have reported the student population has increased by about 60 percent over the last 20 years - a rate of 3 percent annually.

Growth in Smith and Henderson Counties over the next 30 years is expected to be substantial, with the projected population in Henderson County by 2010 at more than 81,300. By 2020, it is expected to be over 90,000 and, by 2030, the population is projected to reach 100,000.

Much of that growth will happen west and south of Tyler and will include Chandler.

On Nov. 11, Oates told a group of about 70 community stakeholders he and district officials wanted to develop "a vision for 20 years and a plan for 10." They responded during the informal meeting by saying they wanted to see the construction of a fine arts building, new football stadium, and possibly a middle school in Chandler.

They also suggested eventually moving Brownsboro High to Chandler, and questioned transportation costs, expanded utilities, land availability in Brownsboro, and technological needs.

Growth projections show points between west Tyler and Brownsboro will experience a boom in industry, retail, and the housing market, especially after the completion of the Loop 49 toll road.

A tax election is expected to be set in November to finance improvements. According to Oates, an elementary school design would take four to six months and construction 14 to 18 months. It would take 18 to 24 months on a middle school, and a high school would take 24-36 months.

At both elementary schools, students are in Pre- K through third grade. Students in grades 4 through 6 attend Brownsboro Intermediate School and Chandler Intermediate School, and seventh- and eighthgraders attend the junior high. Students in grades 9 through 12 go to the high school.