Anderson Elementary 3rd Grade Entrepreneurs

Charlotte Anderson Elementary third graders studied economics this six weeks and learned real-world connections by planning and operating a successful business at school for three days with all proceeds being donated to SafeHaven of Tarrant County, a local charity that supports children and seeks to end domestic violence. (Read related post from SafeHaven.)

The project, Third Grade Trinket Trunk, was a student-run store along with assistance from their teacher sponsors.

Parents donated items to be sold (slap bracelets, colorful shoe laces, pen bracelets, jelly spike bracelets, temporary tattoos, fun pencils, erasers, etc.). In three days, the store earned $700 to donate to SafeHaven.

Proposed Mansfield ISD high school iPad initiative Q&A

Updated Wednesday, May 23: At the May 22 Regular Board meeting, the MISD School Board approved the recommendation as made by the Superintendent for awarding the quote to procure devices, equipment, and services needed to initiate an Apple iPad2 1:1 program at all MISD high schools. 

Updated: Additional details and documents for the 1:1 iPad2 initiative high schools beginning in the fall is available on the PowerUp! resource page.

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We have proposed starting a 1:1 program that would place over 10,600 iPad2 devices in high school for students and teachers this fall. The Mansfield ISD School Board is considering this proposal and will likely vote on the proposal at the Tuesday, May 22 Regular Meeting.

Presentations about the iPad proposal were made at the March and April School Board meetings along with during the Called Meeting on Tuesday, May 15. 

We want to continue to build on our commitment to provide innovative educational opportunities and we believe this 1 to 1 program is another way we can help increase student engagement.

The School Board has asked that their questions along with the administrative answers be provided here on the District blog so that the community can view the main issues and thoughts on the initiative.

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Mansfield ISD 1:1 iPad Inititiative Proposal 

Board Members’ Questions
Updated May 16, 2012

Mr. Raul Gonzalez
1. If kids forget their iPad or it’s dead, what will you do?
If kids forget theirs, we will have classroom sets of textbooks that the students will be able to use. Teachers can also be innovative and allow students to share an iPad with another student. If it is dead, we will have charging cords.

2. Will there be enough bandwidth?
The number of access points that will be installed as part of the bond this summer meets the specifications outlined in the Apple deployment guide. That work will be completed by July 26, 2012. To prepare for the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) implementation that had been planned previously, increases to bandwidth are planned that will more than double the district’s capacity. These bandwidth upgrades are also scheduled for completion during the month of July.

3. Have we thought about doing this at middle schools?
We discussed having it at middle schools, but we think that if we allow them to use this technology as 8th graders and then do not have it for them as 9th graders, it would be detrimental. We feel it is better to start at the top and work our way down the grade levels.

Mrs. Beth Light
1. Number of textbooks currently available or that will be available in the fall.
McGraw Hill has committed to a minimum of at least five textbooks by the beginning of the school year. Other publishers are developing textbooks for release, too; they have not announced the quantity of titles and subjects of books that they plan to release for August.

2. Have we considered starting with the upper grade levels only?
There are not age-specific classes at the high school. Depending on the class, freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors could be in the same section.

3. One other question, if we decided to pursue the iPads, would we continue investigating the BYOD policy?
Yes. Whether devices belong to MISD or to students, implementation of a BYOD policy is recommended. The iPad 1:1 proposal is targeted at the high schools, so many of the advantages to having a BYOD policy would involve grades K-8. Providing the teachers and kids with some guidelines for bringing those devices to school and using them appropriately would be a good update to the handbook.

4. When you say 5 textbooks, does that mean 5 per grade level and what content?
McGraw Hill expects to release five books this fall at the high school level. McGraw Hill and other publishers have not released information about specific content areas in order to maintain an advantage against their competitors. These titles are available now:

McGraw Hill

• Algebra I 
• Biology 
• Chemistry 
• Geometry 
• Physics 

Pearson

• Algebra I 
• Biology 
• Environmental Science 
• Geometry 

5. Most of the publishers today have digital versions of their textbooks, but it is my understanding these are not interactive, basically just an online version of the textbook. The new electronic books that are being developed in conjunction with Apple are interactive books. Is this correct? Will the current digital textbooks that are not interactive work on the iPads? And, will the new interactive electronic textbooks work only on the iPad?
The electronic versions of textbooks being developed in conjunction with Apple feature interactive elements such as those demonstrated during the February board meeting. Online versions are available for a number of texts that are currently adopted. Books that are written using Adobe Flash, a multimedia platform used on some websites for animation, are not compatible with iPads. The new iBooks are compatible only with the iPad.

If the board moves forward with this project, the district will develop a virtual lab with up to 600 virtual PCs that high school students can access using the same VMWare app that is installed on board members’ iPads. Any materials that use Flash can be accessed in this way over the Internet. Licensing for VMWare is based on the number of users who access it simultaneously, which is why a lab with 600 seats is projected to meet students’ needs.

Mrs. Sandra Vatthauer

1. Can Frontier HS students run the specialized software used in FHS programs on iPads? (This question was asked at the board meeting.)
The laptops at FHS were not configured to run the high end applications in use there. The cost of increasing system resources on the MacBooks to do this was prohibitive. There are computer labs at FHS where students use high-end software such as AutoCAD, AutoDesk Inventor, and Multisim. The district is in the process of exploring creation of a virtual lab that students could access using their iPads, which would add all of the function of a high-end desktop computer to those devices.

2. Will kids be able to access Fast ForWord on iPads?
Technically, the iPad can be used to access Fast ForWord. At this stage, we’re not ready to incorporate the iPad with Fast ForWord instruction.

3. If we allow kids to bring their own ipad3 will they be able to download any of our purchased apps that we put on our ipad2s?
Yes. The redemption code for the app works with a student’s personal iTunes account.

4. Haven't we piloted the use of ipads at one of our schools? If so, which was it?
A 1:1 pilot utilizing the iPad2 began at Summit High School on Monday, April 16, 2012.
[Related Mansfield News-Mirror article about the Summit pilot program.]

5. Is there any way to utilize these devices to combat summer drain in the low income areas of our district?
We have not discussed that at this point. Due to the requirements of accelerated instruction for STAAR EOC testing, summer school will have to look dramatically different in the very near future.

6. How do we incorporate our textbook committee into the use of the textbook software?
As part of the current textbook adoption process, a committee reviews materials and makes a recommendation for adoption. There is no textbook adoption scheduled for this year. If the district moves forward with this project, the textbook committee will play a role similar to this.

7. How long will the iPad2 be available for purchase?
Apple has not made an announcement about how long the iPad2 will remain available for purchase.

8. Do we need to purchase additional devices for our anticipated growth and replacement of damaged devices? If so how many?
The proposal includes 120 iPad2 devices (100 for students and 20 for teachers) that will remain in the district to replace iPad2s that are damaged and sent away for repair. This quantity is based on Apple’s recommendations given our growth rate and the need for replacements. Growth in the high schools is protected to be .9% in 2012-2013.

9. What is the cost of AppleCare?
The standard cost of AppleCare Plus is $99 per device. By purchasing 10 packs of iPad2s, the cost is reduced to $79 per device. This cost is included in the proposal. Fees for repairs and related expenses include $50 per student, $25 for students who qualify for reduced lunches, and $10 for students who qualify for free lunches.

Dr. Michael Evans

1. Are we going order the same amount of books for the 2012-2013 school year? If the answer is in the affirmative, does that mean we’ll actually add to our text book expenditures (iPads + Textbooks = Additional Funds).
Expenditures on paper textbooks will be reduced by $600,000, which will be redirected to make this purchase.

2. Have we formulated in "Laymen's" language the advantages of purchasing the iPads for 2012-2013 vs. delaying the purchases until the next biennium?
New textbook adoptions will continue. Within 1-2 years, it will be time to begin replacing computers at the high schools. By changing course now, the district can invest in more engaging resources that can be kept up to date more easily while providing students with much greater access to technology than traditional labs.

The use of iPads in MISD schools may contribute to increased enrollment.

Mr. Raul Gonzalez

1. Have we seen any studies which compare the test scores of students using a textbook in digital and traditional book formats?
Yes, Abilene Christian University has conducted a series of studies about the impact of iPad use on student achievement. Summaries of these studies are listed on their website. I’ve copied one of the passages from the ACU site below:

Several newly released studies show students used the iPad more frequently and with better results when compared to paper-only text. One comparison study by Dr. Ian Shepherd and Dr. Brent Reeves in an undergraduate micro-economics class demonstrates increased engagement and frequency of access compared to a student using a laptop to access BlackBoard, a course management platform. Another study led by Dr. Bob McKelvain examined student annotation practices and found favorable results by students using iPad to annotate. Ryan Gertner, an ACU graduate student, compared use of iPad in demonstrations of higher order learning and showed iPad provided a higher rate of transfer learning in comparison samples in an undergraduate Psychology course.

For more information, please visit http://www.acu.edu/technology/mobilelearning/research/ipad-studies.html.

2. How will the applications of updates be handled for each unit?
Updates to the devices are handled using a Mobile Device Management (MDM) server. Through an MDM server, students receive a link that they use to update their devices over wireless. If updates are not completed, an MDM server can be set up to send a notification to the district so that the student can be prompted to complete the process or guided through it if needed. To manage the 500 mobile devices that the district currently owns, Technology Development has already submitted an MDM solution in its additional requests for infrastructure improvements for the 2012-2013 school year.

3. Have we looked at the Kindle, which is smaller and fits in hand, cheaper, runs flash, weighs less and loads websites faster?
Yes. Unfortunately, Amazon does not accept purchase orders. A credit card has to be registered with each device in order to pay for content.

4. Will the district create accounts for each user to download the textbooks and updates?
Textbooks are loaded onto iPads using a Mobile Device Management (MDM) system in conjunction with students’ iTunes accounts. When the purchase of an app or iBook is required, the district purchases a code for each student through the Apple Volume Purchase Program (VPP). These codes are distributed to the students using an MDM, and the students then download the iBooks or apps using their iTunes accounts.

5. Also, what is the license fee associated with these textbooks? Is this a one-time fee or must this be renewed each year?
The license structure for different products varies. The district already owns some apps, electronic books, and other resources for many subjects through earlier textbook adoptions. The most that a district can pay for an iBook is $14.99. Some e-books may cost less than $5, and we may have the ability to download only certain chapters of the book. The codes for iBooks and apps can be used once and are considered consumable.

6. Do we currently have the record keystrokes (specifically how a computer/laptop is used)? If so, do we have percentage of appropriate use vs off task use of the laptops during a traditional school day?

Filtering software collects information about the sites that students access. Whether a use is off-task or appropriate depends on the time of day, the student’s schedule, and the teacher’s instructions. If a student attempts to access an inappropriate site, a notification is generated and the filtering software blocks the viewing of that site.

7. What issues have we encountered with the issuance of laptops at Frontier High School? Is the filter working?
At Frontier High School, the primary challenges we’ve encountered include accidental damage by students and the workload involved in processing insurance claims. The original version of AppleCare does not cover accidental damage. Under AppleCare Plus, two instances of accidental damage are covered with a $49 deductible per instance.

The filter functions at school and on mobile devices (iPads, laptops, etc.) when they are away from school. New methods for evading the filter are developed and new URLs for inappropriate sites are added to the Internet daily, as are countermeasures designed to address them.

8. Can the our network infrastructure handle 3-1 personal technology when students have a laptop / tablet / Nook or Kindle / phone / iPod / game device / etc?
The district’s wireless capacity at the high schools is designed to handle 35-40 devices in each classroom. The wireless network is divided into two segments (E-Staff and E-Student) for instructional/administrative purposes and another one (Guest) for personal devices. As part of the wireless upgrades planned this summer, a system will be installed that can be used to ensure that iPads and other district-issued devices can access the E-Staff and E-Student networks. The bulk of the district’s bandwidth will be allocated to the E-Staff and E-Student networks. Other devices at the high schools will be relegated to the Guest/BYOD network, the bandwidth for which will be “throttled back” in order to provide more bandwidth for E-Staff and E-Student. This is a solution that has worked well in other districts.

9. If approved, will faculty have the opportunity to pick up an iPad prior to the end of school or during a designated window during the summer?
We’ve been exploring what would be involved in making the iPads available to teachers over the summer. The earliest date that the board may consider approval of the project is May 22. Orders will be placed as soon as possible after that date. I do not project that the orders will have been received prior to the end of school. I’ve asked for an estimate from Apple about how long it will take to get the 500 teacher iPads ready for distribution over the summer.

The district has a variety of devices and media for different purposes. For use in a 1:1 pilot, observations in other districts and our own testing indicate that the iPad2 is the most versatile of these tools. Apple also has the greatest number of educational apps available (over 20,000) and a model for deploying this content that is feasible for an enterprise of the district's size.

10. Why sole source platform?
The new interactive media developed by Apple and the major textbook publishers runs natively on the iPad2. The EPUB and .pdf versions of texts provided through many of the district's current adoptions also work on that device.

11. How easy to transition platforms / content or are you locked in?
To prevent the district from being locked into a given platform, solutions have been developed so that media in many formats can be accessed. Resources available in Flash can be accessed through a free app coupled with a virtual desktop. The district's Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, which is scheduled for expansion this summer, also provides access to Windows 7, Internet Explorer, and the Microsoft Office Suite.

If this initiative moves forward, we’re committed to continuing to monitor the marketplace to make sure that our students and teachers get the best return on technology investments.

Mr. Terry Moore

1. Has a comparison been made of an iPad versus Windows based tablet been performed and what was the result of that?
The textbook publishers have produced iBooks with interactive media for iPads. The proposed iPad project includes Windows functionality using VMWare virtual desktops. Having this virtual lab available means that students will also be able to access sites and materials available through the district’s current adoptions.

2. Do updates to the textbooks that will be loaded onto the tablets have a cost? Per update? Annually?
Updates to textbooks do not have an associated cost. New versions of textbooks will need to be acquired as they are adopted. The cost for the interactive iBooks available through the AppStore is capped at $14.99. Many electronic resources are available at no cost through the district’s current adoptions.

3. How do you download external documents onto the iPad?
Documents can be accessed on the iPad using iCloud, email, and/or apps such as GoodReader.

4. How does our installed base of computers work with the iPad?
Files can be passed to and from iPads to PCs using tools such as email and cloud-based storage.

5. What do we do when a unit doesn’t work, during school, after school?
When a unit does not work, the student or teacher turns it in for service and checks out a spare iPad2. The cost for spares is included in the proposal. Problems that occur after hours can be addressed the following day at school.

6. What about batteries? How do we charge the device while the students are at school?
Students will charge their devices at home in the same way that they charge their cell phones. There are also outlets in the classrooms that students may use.

7. How are we going to handle integration of curriculum when our teachers start to write it?
Teachers have written the curriculum. The district will follow the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.

8. As an early adopter, do we have projections of what revenue we may see from exporting our books?
No revenue is projected from textbook sales due to the quantity of free materials available to districts online and through their existing adoptions.

9. Please verify that we will still have textbooks initially, and for what estimated period of time?
As new adoptions come up, electronic textbooks will be adopted. Existing textbook adoptions will continue to be used. Many of these existing textbook adoptions have electronic materials that students can use at no additional cost.

10. Why wouldn’t all textbooks be available for the iPad?
Major publishers are developing new titles in the new interactive iBook format. Many of the textbooks that are currently adopted by the district have electronic resources that are accessible using the iPad.

11. How will this implementation affect our ESL students?
ELL learners have been using iPod Touch devices for nearly three years in Mansfield ISD. Because the iPad uses the same operating system, apps used with iPod Touch devices can be used with iPads, too. The following list includes some of the apps that have been used by ELL students in MISD:

• Audio Memos
• Dragon Dictation
• Brain POP
• Speaking Pal – English Tutor
• Google Translate
• FlashCardlet
• Speaking Pal Plus
• Fraction Basics
• Word Web Dictionary
• Merriam Webster Dictionary
• Merriam Webster Learner’s Dictionary
• Dictionary.com
• Picture Writer
• iBooks
• Science 360
• Puppet Pals
• Math Tour
• Educreations Interactive Whiteboard
• Kids Find & Learn
• Learn English Kids
• TED
• NASA and NASA TV
• Google Earth

2011 by the numbers and interesting facts

Image by DrBacchus via FlickrAs the 2010-11 school year comes to a close and we head into the summer months, we would like to share some of the more interesting facts and figures from the District:

• We currently have 4 construction projects representing approximately 750,000 square feet of space.
• The Mansfield ISD Education Foundation has given over $2,000,000 in the form of educator grants to our teachers since 1998.
• We have approximately 75 applicants for every principal job that opens in our District.
• In the last 2 years, approximately 70% of our principals, directors, and coordinators level positions have been filled with internal candidates.
• 137 student teachers were placed this year with 213 cooperating teachers.
• We average 125 applicants for every assistant principal opening and have had as many as 182 applicants for a high school assistant principal job.
• On average we have 300 teacher applicants for every open position.
• We have 55 teachers going through an administrator's training class taught by Human Resources; so far 3 of our assistant principal positions were filled with these interns.
• 114 scholarships totaling $84,850 were awarded in the 2011 Mansfield ISD Community Multi-Scholarship program.
• The Mansfield ISD website has had over 4,900,000 hits since August 2010.
• There are over 110 languages spoken in Mansfield ISD other than English.
• The Technology Department handles approximately 150,000 e-mails per day.
• Generally speaking, it takes $1,000,000 per day to operate Mansfield ISD.
• Our Transportation Department carries 22,390 passengers per day traveling over 2.5 million miles per year.
• Our Student Nutrition Department  served 776,848 breakfasts, 2,892,222 lunches, and 3,093,032 cartons of milk.
• A staffing survey by the Texas Association of School Boards shows that Mansfield ISD has 512 fewer employees than comparible districts across the state.
• On average, MISD grows in enrollment by the size of a middle school each year.
• Mansfield ISD has 5,350,967 square feet of air conditioned space and 800 mowable acres of land.
• Mansfield ISD used 55,828,455 KwH of electricity last year - enough to power all the electricity needs for the homes of each of our students and staff for one year (approximately 37,000 homes).
• Mansfield ISD operates under budget.

Superintendent Update - March 2011

Dr. Bob Morrison shares an update on the financial status of the district, new schedules for intermediate and middle school students for next year, the naming procedure for high school #5 and the Mansfield ISD parent survey:



Watch more videos on the MISDTV channel.

Budget impact from proposed Texas education funding cuts

Mansfield ISD Superintendent, Dr. Bob Morrison, discusses the financial state of the district as he details the impending Texas state education funding cuts and the possible effects on the District.

Superintendent Budget Letter for the District Community 
(Get a printable PDF version.)


Dear MISD Family:

The reports about Texas’ budget concerns are getting a lot of publicity, and you are probably reading about many school districts who are having serious financial difficulties. Mansfield ISD is in sound financial condition, and the purpose of this letter is to inform you of our plans to deal with the state’s budget difficulty and its impact on our district.

Mansfield is taking a wait and see what happens approach to the state’s budget. It is very early in the state’s budget process, and we know from experience that the first budget drafts will change dramatically as the legislative session continues. We do not want to respond to rumors. Early projections have Mansfield ISD’s 2011-2012 budget being cut between $10-$30 million. Obviously, a $30 million funding decrease would be very difficult to absorb without deep cuts. A $10 million funding decrease would be difficult as well, but the District would be able to absorb the loss with some operating and program adjustments. Our strong fund balance will allow us to wait until we have facts before we respond.  The actual amount of the decrease will determine exactly how we respond.

Our Board and executive council are committed to providing quality instruction for our students and a good working environment for our employees. A recent staffing audit of the District revealed that Mansfield ISD is staffed very conservatively. According to the report, we have 512 fewer administrators, teachers, and support personnel than comparable districts of our size. Because we are already so lean, we do not feel we will have to make any personnel cuts for the 2011-2012 school year. However, depending on the budget reductions, we may not replace the positions of some who retire or voluntarily leave our district. Until we have the facts, I cannot make predictions or guarantees for the 2012-2013 and beyond school years.

We recognize that the state of Texas is in a tough financial situation, and Mansfield ISD is willing to do our part to help our state during this budget crisis. We are committed to operating on a balanced budget and will remain conservative with our staffing. Tighter budgets in the coming years are a reality. However, if you share our concerns with the impending decrease in state funding to public education in Mansfield ISD, I encourage you to contact your legislators. Tell your elected officials that a balanced state budget should not sacrifice the quality of education.

Thank you,

Dr. Bob Morrison
Superintendent, Mansfield ISD
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Contact your state representative. Find who represents you. http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/
____________________________________________________________

Mansfield ISD among top-rated districts in new FAST report

Earlier this week the Texas Comptroller's Office released the Financial Allocation Study for Texas (FAST) report. The report grades districts on how well they spend money compared to student performance.

"The 2009 Legislature required the comptroller’s office to develop a way to determine how well districts were spending money compared to how well their students performed.

"Each campus and district were rated based on how well students performed on math and reading tests from year to year, whether it was a 'very low' to 'very high' spending district and compared to peer districts of similar size and student makeup." [SOURCE: Extra Credit]

The Mansfield ISD was among the top-rated districts, with 4.5 stars and a "very low" (which is good) spending index according to the report.

When asked by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram how MISD has such a good balance between spending and academic success, Dr. Jim Vaszauskas, Associate Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Accountabilitysay said it was because of two things:

"First, we give our principals a great deal of latitude on how they spend their professional development campus funds, and they do a very good job of spending those monies on trainings that focus on instructional improvement.

"Second, we try to closely align our professional development with our district curriculum. Some of the best and least expensive professional development we have is simply giving our teachers time to talk with each other and time to collaboratively produce quality lessons for our students. It’s a really exciting time to be a part of Mansfield ISD."

Since the study is still so new, we will need more time to closely analyze it. However, we are encouraged by seeing these types of results.

Read more about the Financial Allocation Study for Texas (FAST) report or read the study.

Site location for Performing Arts Auditorium and Professional Development Center

At the October 27 Regular School Board meeting, the MISD School Trustees moved to "put the MISD Performing Arts Auditorium and Professional Development Center at The Shops at Broad pending the final resolution of a tri-party agreement between MISD, City of Mansfield and Forest City Developers at the November 17th Board Meeting."

What does this mean?
The Board, along with district administrators, are committing to building the now approved facility at The Shops at Broad (Highway 287 and Broad Street) location as long as a mutually beneficial agreement can be made.

Currently under consideration is an agreement that has the district trading 12 acres it owns near Mary Orr Intermediate School for 12 acres inside the development that the city owns.

District Superintendent Dr. Bob Morrison remains committed to keeping MISD from incurring any additional construction costs related to building at The Shops at Broad site.

Over the next three weeks leading up to the November 17 Regular School Board meeting, negotiations will continue to take place. The District has set the November 17 deadline in order to begin construction as soon as possible so they are able to take full advantage of the comparatively low construction costs.

The plans now are to have the Performing Arts Auditorium and Professional Development Center construction completed Spring 2012 in time for graduations.

Possible Site Location for Proposed Auditorium and Professional Development Center

Updated October 28, 2009: At the October 27, 2009 Regular School Board Meeting, Board Trustees approved a motion to put the MISD Performing Arts Auditorium and Professional Development Center at the Shops at Broad location pending the final resolution of a tri-party agreement between MISD, City of Mansfield and Forest City Developers at the November 17th Board Meeting.

Updated September 24, 2009: At the September 22, 2009 Regular School Board Meeting, Board Trustees approved the construction of the performing arts auditorium and professional development center by a 6-0 vote.
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The developer of The Shops at Broad Street, working with the City of Mansfield, has approached the school district with a proposal to locate the proposed Performing Arts Auditorium/Professional Development Center to the land at Broad Street and Highway 287.

The school district is examining the proposal and is addressing the following conditions:

• The land will be given to the school district at no cost to the district.
• The school district will retain the 25 acres of land behind Ben Barber to be used in the future as the district deems necessary.
• The school district will retain 100% ownership of the facility.
• The district will incur no additional cost to the overall construction price if we decide to move the facility to the The Shops at Broad Street.
• If any non-MISD group wants to use the facility, they will pay a rental fee and meet MISD requirements for use.
• There will be no special consideration given to the City of Mansfield for the use of the facility.
• The City of Mansfield or any outside group would have the ability to rent the facility if they are willing to pay the rental fee.
  

The reason given for gifting the land to the school district is that if the facility is built it would spur additional development at The Shops at Broad Street. This would also lead to greater sales tax revenue. There will be additional meetings with the city and the developer of the The Shops at Broad Street to discuss the proposal and other possible considerations.

Statement on proposed auditorium and professional development center

Mansfield ISD is considering moving forward with the construction of the Performing Arts Auditorium/Teacher Professional Development Center. I will be providing information as to why the administration is proposing to move this project forward at this time. The Performing Arts Auditorium has been under consideration for more than five years. In that time, the district has reviewed auditorium designs ranging from a seating capacity of 3500 to 5000. The project was not included in prior bond programs due to the cost, the fast growth of the district and the need for schools.

The facility
The current design being considered will accommodate 5500 people with an additional 500 on the stage. This would allow for a seating capacity of 6000 to accommodate our four high school graduations. Our current graduations are located at The Potter’s House in Dallas County. In addition to graduations, the facility would allow all district employees to be trained at one time. In preparation for a time when a performing arts auditorium might be built, the district purchased 25 acres directly behind Ben Barber Career Tech Academy. This location was chosen due to the available parking that could be used when the Performing Arts Auditorium hosted large events.

Other uses for the auditorium would include:

• A location for high school performing arts departments' musicals and other large stage productions. (Mansfield ISD has one auditorium that is being used by 14 secondary campuses, including four high schools.);
• 5th-12th grade band and choir performances;
• Host UIL band competitions and competitive cheer events;
• Outside group use for a rental fee
  

The Teacher Professional Development section of the facility would allow all teacher trainings in the district to occur in one location. The main feature of the design is one large room that can accommodate up to 500, but can also be divided into six separate rooms for training. This large professional development room could host other events that are currently being housed outside the district. The Education Foundation’s annual Academic Recognition Banquet could be hosted there as well as booster club organization and local PTA events. The Teacher Professional Development Center also features three computer-training rooms that will be used by our teachers. Current teacher training on computers must take place at our schools in student computer labs.

Finance considerations
I have provided an explanation of the need of an additional auditorium/training center, so now I will discuss the cost and source of construction funding. The district just recently signed the contract on the construction of high school five at a cost of $60 million. In the 2006 bond election, voters approved the high school five facility at a projected cost of $84 million. These estimates were based upon construction costs and the rate of inflation. The district decided over a year ago to delay the construction of high school five for one year due to a decrease in student growth. In that year, the economy slowed and construction costs fell. Therefore, the district was able to save $24 million in the construction of high school five.

The administration began to explore additional construction projects. The current proposal was deemed as the highest need in the district. The reason we are looking to move this project forward now is to take advantage of the current construction market. To provide a comparison, the 2005 estimate for a performing arts auditorium that only seated 5000 and didn’t have a 24,000 square foot teacher training facility was placed at $50 million.

The projected cost of the proposed Performing Arts Auditorium/Teacher Professional Development Center is $39 million. This is $11 million less than the smaller 2005 proposed auditorium which didn’t have a Teacher Professional Development Center. If we were to add the cost of the 24,000 square foot training center to the 2005 proposal, it would have added an additional $5 million to the construction costs. Therefore, the current proposal is between $15 and $16 million less than it would have been if built in 2005.

The cost of the current facility is $39 million. The construction savings of high school five totaled $24 million. The additional $15 million needed to build the facility will come from previous bond packages. The interest gathered during the duration of the bond as well as other sources such as new gas well revenues could be used to offset the additional cost. This is not the first time the district has proposed building a facility that was not on a bond program. In the 2001 bond program, the district was able to secure enough funds from savings on construction projects and interest earnings to build an additional elementary school. In the 1999 bond program, the district renovated the Historic High School building with interest earnings.

Why now?
The reason is simple. Current construction costs are allowing a window of opportunity. This opportunity, if taken, will not only help every student in our performing arts programs, but graduations to take place in district. The auditorium and training rooms will be used by our Mansfield ISD community. The room that can hold up to 500 can be used for banquets as well as school board meetings. The advantage of moving school board meetings to this location will allow the district to take the current board room and use it some day as additional staff offices. This will enable our administration buildings to accommodate district growth for many years.

The reason for providing this message is to get the information out to our patrons. I want everything we do to be transparent. Please feel free to comment on the proposal. If you have any additional questions, post your questions to the blog and I will make sure an answer is provided. There are two upcoming school board meetings that provide opportunities for public feedback. Those school board meetings are at 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, August 25 and September 22.


Sincerely,

Bob Morrison, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

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Updated AUGUST 21, 2009: Based on questions raised by comments, Dr. Morrison has provided the below answers. Questions were reworded to represent multiple comments.

First, I would like to thank everyone for offering his or her comments and questions. It has been great to see the discussion and interest in this project. Feel free to post any additional comments and questions below.

Dr. Morrison

Q: Why do we need a fifth high school, or any of these additional facilities?
A: Mansfield ISD will have over 31,000 students this year and a total of four high schools. Our current high school populations total 9,159 students. High schools in Mansfield ISD are built to support 2,500 students. Other districts do build high schools that are larger and/or smaller than ours, but our standard has been set at 2,500. If Legacy HS would not have been built, the three remaining high schools would currently support approximately 3,053 students. When high school five is scheduled to open, our four current high schools are projected to be over their capacity of 2,500.

Q: Does the district consider increased maintenance cost when approving facility construction?
A: Yes, increased maintenance costs and staffing are part of any building proposal.

Q: What about the inequities between existing schools, especially related to technology?
A: The school board approved this summer to update all the technology throughout the school district beginning with the older schools. There are 16 schools that have been targeted with the recabling project. Summit HS, as well as 15 other schools, will be completely rewired to allow for a fast and reliable Internet connection. Testing of the cabling at these schools will begin the first week of school. Cable that does not meet industry standards for performance will be replaced.

Technology upgrades are a very high priority for the district. For example, we are adding a fourth rotation to our elementary schools for technology. Keyboarding has also been moved to the fifth grade so that students can use this skill throughout their secondary years. Additional course offerings will also be offered to students in 6-8 grades in the future.

Q: Why does the proposed facility have 6,000 seats? If the facility is mainly that large to support graduation, why not just hold graduation at Vernon Newsom Stadium?
A: The size of this facility is directly related to graduations and the ability to provide a location where all staff could meet for professional development. Each year, we struggle to secure a location that is big enough to house our high school graduation ceremonies. It is true that Newsom Stadium is more than sufficient to hold graduation, but the common concern is the temperature and unpredictability of the weather in Texas in June.

Q: How will Arlington and Grand Prairie residents feel about building a facility designed for usage by the City of Mansfield?
A: There are no current agreements for any particular city to have special usage of the facility. If it should be built, any organization (including city, county and state groups) will be able to use the facility if they are willing to pay a rental fee and meet our requirements. Any rumor about special consideration for the City of Mansfield is a rumor.

Q: Why are we interested in a professional development facility, especially considering all other needs of the district?
A: The reasoning behind the professional development center is clear. The district needs a place to provide our teachers the necessary training to meet the academic needs of our students. We currently train our teachers and staff at locations throughout the district. No available meeting room can currently seat over 100 staff members. The new facility would be able to seat up to 500 staff members for a training session or meeting.

Q: Will the professional development facility be utilized for banquets and special events?
A: The facility includes a kitchen that will be able to support catering needs for up to 500 people. District events that are currently held in other rented spaces would be able to make a home at the center, like an Education Foundation banquet or a Booster Club meeting, for example. The rental fee for district-related groups would be equivalent to current fees, which cover utility and cleaning costs.

Q: With the state of the economy, this facility seems like an unnecessary extravagance. Have you considered this point of view?
A: I do agree that the general economy is less than stellar, but the current state of the economy is actually responsible for our ability to fund this facility. Like our current school construction projects, I intend to continue the district’s record of building functional and durable facilities. I do also believe it is necessary to build structures that are points of pride for our school communities, but with a focus on getting the district a good value within a reasonable budget.

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View the Conceptual Design Presentation of the Performing Arts Auditorium/Teacher Professional Development Center. (Please note, this is a large file and may take longer to load at slower connection speeds.)

Updated SEPTEMBER 2, 2009: Please read the related post regarding the possible site location in coordination with the City of Mansfield.

Updated SEPTEMBER 24, 2009: At the September 22, 2009 Regular School Board Meeting, Board Trustees approved the construction of the performing arts auditorium and professional development center by a 6-0 vote.