A new high school could be built on a 52-acre tract of land north of State Highway 31 near Brownsboro if a tax election is successful in November, a district offi cial said. “We’re looking for the least expensive way to fill our needs for at least the next 10 years,” Board of Trustees Vice President Dusty Wise said. “We’ve got several facilities that are pretty well outdated and have served their purpose. My thinking is to build a new high school on those 52 acres we have.” That land is about two miles west of Brownsboro, its size sufficient enough for a high-school campus, Dr. Arnold Oates, president of Texas School Planning, has said. But that scenario is one of many to be presented by Oates to an advisory committee of community stakeholders charged with recommending to trustees its plan to finance new construction and renovations of four of the district’s six campuses — Brownsboro Elementary School, Chandler Elementary School, Brownsboro High School, and Brownsboro Junior High School. “I think we’ll see a lot of good proposals,” Wise said. “I haven’t seen all of Dr. Oates’ work yet, but we have to do something in Brownsboro and in Chandler, at the elementary school.” The elementary schools 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 to the west. Brownsboro High 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. All four schools are at capacity. “I think we’ve been pretty good stewards of the district’s money,” Wise said. “But we’ve got to do something

Wise or we are going to mess around and be real late.” At Chandler Elementary, limited parking areas for buses and other vehicles is always a concern, with traffi c 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. 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. 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. 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. District officials expect to set the tax election for November. “We’re getting down to some real brass tacks now,” Wise said. “I’m really for the bond proposal. Getting the public involved, I hope we can find the best solution.”