Long-range planning panel urges bond package that could include new Crosby Middle School

The Crosby ISD long-range planning committee presented updated bond recommendations to the board on issues ranging from roof and HVAC replacements to possible new schools, telling trustees the committee’s latest information supports considering a new middle school.

“My projection of 12,000 new houses between 2024 and 2034 ... drove a lot of our decisions,” committee member Jacques Darbone said, citing demographic studies and facility tours that informed the committee’s priorities. The panel said population growth and aging building systems led it to reprioritize earlier recommendations.

Caitlin Hawkins, a parent and long-range planning team member, told trustees that ongoing investigations of Crosby Middle School identified foundation, roof, mechanical and code issues. Hawkins summarized the committee’s current cost estimates: about $39.35 million in identified repair costs versus a new-middle-school estimate of roughly $103 million (May 2026 estimate), which the committee said could rise to about $110 million once bid timing and additional findings are included.

The committee proposed three bond-package options: Option 1 (roughly $124 million, split into three propositions), Option 2 (about $208 million as a single proposition including a new middle school) and Option 3 (the Option 2 scope split into two propositions). Presenters recommended structuring propositions so voters can choose specific projects rather than approving a single, large omnibus package.

Board members acknowledged the urgency of addressing capacity and major systems while pressing presenters for a complete structural assessment before a final decision. The district plans to bring further information to the board next Monday, and no bond vote was taken at the special-called meeting.