August 14th Article from the Tomball Magnolia Tribune

New TISD committees to study facilities
By Brian WalzelTribune Staff

The Tomball Independent School District is looking to the community to help determine what, if any, new schools or facility upgrades the district may need in the next five years.
At an Aug. 7 open meeting, district officials outlined the functions of three subcommittees, which comprise the Tomball ISD Steering Committee, chaired by former Tomball High School graduate Stephen Hohl. The three subcommittees will examine the educational adequacy of the district’s existing facilities, student growth and possible financing of new facilities for student and program growth.
According to the district, the Board of Trustees recently commissioned a study to be conducted by members of the Tomball ISD community to assess the needs for facility improvements and expansion for the years 2006-07 through 2010-11.
The three subcommittees, made up primarily of members of the district community, will meet throughout the fall semester before presenting their findings to the Steering Committee, which will then make a recommendation to the Tomball ISD Board of Trustees.
Hohl said he expects the committees to assemble a good plan. “If we keep in mind what’s best for the district, I think we’ll get a good plan,” he said. The three subcommittees will examine three different aspects of the district and its growth. “These subcommittees will study such topics as demographics of the area, population projections, programs of other school districts, the district’s current financial position and methods of financing capital expenditures,” the district stated.
In 2004, officials with The Woodlands Operating Company announced plans to develop another village, Creekside Village, a development that will lie within the boundaries of the Tomball ISD. The village is set to open in early 2007 and a new elementary school is already on the horizon, district officials have said.
The subcommittees may also consider the possibility of building a new ninth grade campus and making improvements to the district’s current facilities. One of the requirements the school board has put on any new facilities the committees consider, is that kindergarten through sixth grade campuses should be built close to neighborhoods.
The Steering Committee will be comprised of a representative cross-section of the district, including students, staff, parents, business and community members and administrators. Meeting community expectations, Hohl said, is a key component to the success of the project. “What we do needs to reflect what this community expects out of this school board,” he said.
School Board President Kathy Hanson said that board members likely wouldn’t be around much during the meetings, but not for a lack of interest. “After tonight, you won’t be seeing a whole lot us, but not because we’re not interested,” she said. Hanson said she wants the committees to work on their own, without the board “looking over their shoulder.” “We’d love to be at every meeting,” she said.
All committee meetings will be open to the public and committees are still open to those wishing to join. For more information, call the Tomball Independent School District at 281-357-3100.