The third meeting of the Frisco ISD Bond Planning Committee focused on the ongoing maintenance needed to keep 76 campuses operating safely, especially as those built in the rapid-growth years begin to age at the same time.
Scott Warstler, chief of operations, put the District’s size into perspective: With 11 million square feet of schools, “we have about 4,800 toilets in our District, about 5,200 sinks” for about 62,000 students.
More numbers of note:
9 - Campuses that are currently at least 25 years old
26 - Campuses that will be at least 25 by 2032
Warstler acknowledged the high cost of replacing that many critical systems, but said the cost of delaying a replacement until something breaks could be even higher.
“What if we wait? This one’s pretty simple. We run the risk of outages and emergency repairs for essential systems,” he said. “Anything we push out a year or two or three, the price of replacing that system is going up. If we can stick to our repair schedules, it will probably be cheaper — most importantly, it’s better for kids and teachers.”
Kimberly Smith, deputy superintendent for business and operations, said that the proposal brought to the bond committee was just a starting point outlining basic needs. Only the committee — not District leaders — will determine the size and cost of any potential bond proposal brought to the Board of Trustees.
However, District leaders are looking for alternatives to stretch funds even further to give committee members options to reduce the scope.
“Next week, we’re going to talk about the financial implications of all of the projects that you’ve heard so far,” Smith said. “We recognize that some of you are going to want options to scale back the scope of some of the projects that you heard last week or tonight.”
Facility maintenance
A five-year plan presented this week tops $600 million for the ongoing repair and replacement of individual building systems as they age, including:
Electrical switches, distribution equipment and panel boards
Heating and air conditioning equipment (split systems and rooftop units)
Paving sealants
Exterior masonry cleaning and sealing
Partial or full interior painting and carpet
Water heaters
Water-cooled chillers
During the presentation, Warstler emphasized the importance of lifecycle replacement — replacing major building systems and components as they approach the end of their useful lives.
The District uses long-range replacement schedules to anticipate when major systems, such as heating and air conditioning, will need attention. For example, HVAC systems typically have a 20- to 25-year lifecycle. Planning for those replacements allows the District to budget for the work and avoid costly emergency repairs and disruptions to learning.
“When you don’t take care of something before it breaks, when it breaks, it’s typically going to cost you more, and it may cause additional problems,” Warstler said.
To illustrate this, Smith shared that one North Texas school district is spending $100,000 a week to rent portable coolers for classrooms after HVAC issues at multiple campuses.
Warstler said that although FISD maintenance teams work to extend the life of equipment as long as possible, there comes a point when repairing an aging system is no longer the most efficient or cost-effective option.
As Frisco ISD schools age, lifecycle replacement “isn’t something that ends in this bond program, or in the next bond program,” Warstler said. “We have to keep that in mind as we move through this process.”
Cosmetology program
The meeting also included a presentation by Dr. Wes Cunningham, associate deputy superintendent, on adding a highly requested cosmetology program and the facility costs associated with that.
The committee reviewed two possible approaches for creating a cosmetology space in the Career and Technical Education Center: converting several classrooms into a salon to serve about 40 students, or adding to the building for a larger space that would accommodate more teachers and more students.
And the demand is there: Of about 2,800 students who responded to a recent survey, 350 expressed strong interest in a cosmetology program.
The District is also exploring potential partnerships with local salons to support staff training and student learning.
Committee members asked about potential revenue from a cosmetology program. Dr. Cunningham said adding a program shown to be successful in other school districts could help attract and retain students, and the state provides additional funding for CTE students.
He said a cosmetology program has been discussed in Frisco ISD for decades, and the time is right.
“We don’t add programs, courses or pathways without very specific reasons and with data behind them,” Dr. Cunningham said. “We try to make sure students have a fantastic experience in our CTE programs and classes. We try to make sure the economic area around us can support our students when they’re finished. And most importantly, we want to make sure our students are equipped to be successful when they leave us.”
Committee members will use that information to weigh the District's needs against the financial realities and develop recommendations for a potential bond package.
What’s next
This weekend, committee members will tour several campuses and learn more about what Frisco ISD’s aging facilities need most.
Learn more about the Frisco ISD Bond Planning Committee and follow the process.
Resources
Bond Planning Committee updates
Nov. 3 meeting: Facility maintenance and cosmetology program
Oct. 27 meeting: Fine arts and athletics equipment, technology and buses
Oct. 20 meeting: Introduction and District background
Transparency tools
Capital Projects table, updated October 2026: Category, Project, Amount Spent and Remaining Balance
Your Frisco ISD Taxes at Work: A dollar-by-dollar breakdown of where your taxes are going
Sustainability Plan
November 2026 update: Board workshop Nov. 9 from 5-7 p.m. at the FISD Administration Building, 5515 Ohio Drive, Frisco, TX 75035
June 2026 update: Expense cuts, new revenue and campus utilization. Article | Presentation | Video
January 2026 update: Cost savings and resource realignment. Article | Presentation | Video
October 2025 update: Demographics, facility planning and academic programs. Article | Presentation | Video