The Victoria Independent School District Bond Action Committee continues its work to review districtwide facility data, study enrollment and capacity trends, and evaluate ways to align buildings and resources with the needs of students. Since its formation earlier this year, the BAC has participated in multiple informational meetings and campus tours, reviewed facility condition assessments, and discussed options to modernize and right-size schools across the district. The committee’s work centers on ensuring that every VISD student learns in a safe, efficient, and modern facility while maintaining responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources.
Throughout this process, VISD remains committed to keeping the community informed and engaged, recognizing that community awareness and understanding are key to making thoughtful and informed decisions about the district’s long-term facility needs.
At this stage, all discussions and proposed facility concepts are exploratory and part of the committee’s ongoing study. Before any project recommendation is presented to the VISD Board of Trustees, the administration and architectural partners will continue to gather data, cost analyses, and feedback from the BAC. Only after this review and recommendation process would the Board consider the next steps.
During its most recent meeting on September 9, the BAC received a comprehensive presentation from Superintendent Sheila Collazo focused on facility usage, enrollment trends, and operational costs. Topics included campus enrollment, attendance boundaries and feeder patterns, transportation considerations, instructional programming, facility condition assessments, and expenses, such as insurance and utilities.
Superintendent Collazo shared that district enrollment has declined by roughly 2,000 students over the past decade, with a decrease of about 100 students from the last school year. This trend prompted a discussion on “rightsizing,” evaluating campus capacity and enrollment to operate more efficiently and make the best use of space and resources.
Elementary campuses currently serve between 250 and 500 students, while operating at approximately 700 students per campus would improve efficiency and reduce operational costs without compromising educational quality. Currently, the average annual utilities and insurance cost for an elementary campus is about $130,000, while the VISD Success Academy costs about $420,000 annually. Adjusting the number and size of campuses could generate up to $1 million in annual savings in utilities and insurance costs alone.
To guide its study, the BAC reviewed facility needs assessments provided by the superintendent for several campuses, focusing on aging buildings and projected growth areas. Preliminary recommendations from the VISD Administration, pending architectural review, include:
Rightsize three elementary campuses to better balance enrollment, capacity, and operational efficiency.
Modernize existing campuses throughout the district to create updated, efficient, and student-centered learning environments.
2007 Bond Campuses – Provide asset improvements, including roof and HVAC replacements.
Enhance safety and security features across all campuses and district facilities.
Community members are encouraged to stay informed by visiting https://victoriaisdtx.new.swagit.com/videos/354957?ts=1, where the full meeting with presentations and BAC questions, and discussion are available.
At the September 17 School Board Meeting, the VISD Board of Trustees authorized Superintendent Collazo to work with RMA Architects and PBK Architects to develop detailed cost analyses for the proposed projects. These findings will be presented to the committee at the November 18 BAC Meeting.
The ongoing work of the BAC reflects VISD’s commitment to strategic, data-driven facility planning that reduces operational costs, modernizes aging campuses, and ensures every dollar is used effectively to support student learning.