Frisco ISD leaders have presented updates to the District’s Sustainability Plan, an operational and financial roadmap to address enrollment decline while preserving educational excellence.
The Sustainability Plan is built around four guiding principles: serving students first, listening to stakeholders, innovating and adapting, and being responsible stewards of public funding.
Background
Because enrollment drives state funding, declining student numbers create financial challenges even as many District expenses — including facilities, utilities and a baseline level of staffing — remain unchanged.
While programs such as Access Frisco are helping manage enrollment decline, District leaders expect enrollment and revenue decreases to continue in the coming years.
To address these challenges, Frisco ISD is focusing on three key strategies: aligning resources with enrollment, identifying operational efficiencies and diversifying revenue sources.
Updates
Expense cuts and new revenue: Millions of dollars in savings have been realized over the past three years through efforts such as staffing adjustments, enrollment balancing and class-load standardization. On the revenue side for 2026-27, new and continuing opportunities include tuition-based prekindergarten and Frisco Flex a la carte options, fare-based busing and facility rental fee increases.
While these changes will help bridge funding gaps in the short term, they are not a long-term solution. No amount of revenue generation can account for anticipated enrollment decline, which is why the Sustainability Plan also includes a long-range approach to facility planning.
Campus utilization: District leaders are reviewing school utilization by geographic sectors rather than individual campuses to better understand enrollment trends and ensure facilities are used efficiently.
Data shows high schools — as well as middle schools, after the closure of Staley Middle School — are meeting capacity goals now and in the near future, while several elementary sectors have entered a critical utilization range (under 65% capacity) that will require continued monitoring.
District leaders emphasize the importance of not focusing on individual schools’ utilization numbers, because enrollment is not the only factor being weighed as future decisions are made. Discussions about sectors that remain in that critical utilization range will be ongoing, and any decisions will involve many opportunities for community, staff and student feedback.
Capital projects: Frisco ISD continues to manage approximately $112 million in remaining 2018 bond funds, which are expected to support facility maintenance, technology, security and other infrastructure needs through the 2027 calendar year.
Some of the ongoing projects and funding set aside for that work:
Complete ongoing 2018 bond projects (through 2026) - $17.5 million
Preventative maintenance, repair and replacement cycles for buildings (through 2027) - $9.5 million
Reserve funds for Staley - $20 million
Maintain technology replacement - $18.6 million
Maintain equipment replacement cycles for fine arts and athletics - $19.1 million
Security surveillance updates - $6.3 million
Replace outdated buses, bus wash and fuel pumps - $3.6 million
Paving and landscape repairs - $4.2 million
Contingency for unexpected needs - $13.3 million
To extend the 2018 bond funds, some projects have been deferred:
25-to-30-year renovations (10 schools) - This timeline has been adjusted from the previous standard of 20-year refreshes.
Buses (128)
Technology - Teacher desktops, non-engineering student labs and student devices.
Furniture (7 schools)
LED lighting retrofit (2 high schools)
Partial repaint
Critical needs such as security upgrades, HVAC replacements and routine maintenance remain priorities.
What’s next
Looking ahead, District leaders are beginning the process of rebuilding the District's bond program to address the long-term needs of aging facilities and infrastructure. Community input will play an important role in shaping future plans, with potential bond discussions beginning this fall.
Through these discussions, District leaders will share more details to improve public understanding of facility lifecycle needs. By 2027, 35 FISD schools will be at least 20 years old. Just five years later, by 2032, another 19 campuses will have hit the 20-year mark.
With the Sustainability Plan and through ongoing, transparent communication about past and planned bond spending, Frisco ISD commits to thoughtfully adapting to changing enrollment trends while prioritizing student programs and opportunities.