Due to the approval of the 2017 bond package, the district will begin providing the school with new technology, facilities and renovations starting with the distribution of new iPads on September 24.

“A large proportion of the bond had to do with the technology, not only student iPads with the keyboard, but also other technology,” principal Scot Finch said.

Over the summer, the district began replacing laptops and desktops, and according to Chief Technology Officer Bryan Kolbeck, is working on infrastructural needs such as updating wired/wireless systems and replacing other devices such as printers.

“In addition, there are other safety and security projects that are supported by the 2017 bond that have elements of technology,” Kolbeck said via email.

The school is scheduled to receive additional surveillance cameras and update the existing ones. The district plans to install ballistic glass in some locations of the school like the main entrance. Aside from security measures provided from the bond, the district has adopted the policy of wearing IDs and a new emergency protocol.

The school, along with The Colony High School, will be receiving a multi-purpose facility to match Flower Mound, Lewisville and Marcus High School. The facility will be used for academic, fine arts and athletic events.

“[The facilities] are also going to bring us up to speed with the other high schools,” Finch said. “All these things we’re going to be getting, the [other schools] already have or have had for a while.”

Communications officer Greg Weghorst said the facility should be in design during the 2018-2019 school year, and it is a two year project. The location of the building has not been determined.

“That land across the [Plano Parkway], that is all LISD land all the way back to a brick fence,” Finch said.  “My preference is to remove the tennis courts and put them across the street, that way you have less traffic. If you were to put the arena across the street, that would create a whole lot of foot traffic going across a very busy road. I want [the facility] to be connected to the building so if it’s storming or raining or cold, you can stay in the building rather than go out in the weather or rain if it’s detached.”

Other additions include the installation of black box theaters and renovations throughout the school such as painting, floors and lighting. However, these will occur much later.

The projects that the bond money is going toward was decided on by the Facilities Advisory Committee made up of community members across the district. The committee came up with a series of projects based on the needs and wants of the district, which they narrowed down by voting on what should and should not be included. Finally, voters approved the $737.5 million bond package. Because of the limited budget in this bond, not all the projects were able to be approved; for example, the school won’t be building softball fields or a wrestling room.

“You have [members] from all five feeder high school patterns that were on this committee,” Finch said. “[The purpose of] building facilities [is] to make it fair between all the high schools. I’m excited about all of it. Whatever they’re giving us, it’s a lot.”