NEDERLAND — The school district took the first steps Thursday towards putting a potential bond up for a vote. Members of the school board and the community met in the Nederland High School cafeteria to start a Citizens Advisory Committee, which will tour the schools and look at what the facilities need in order to recommend issues the potential bond could address.

The first meeting had approximately 80 citizens of the district show up to be involved in the committee.

The committee will look into how much room, if any, the district has to grow, school board President Susan Isom said Monday.

During the summer, the board received a study that predicted the district will gain over 1,100 student over the next 10 years. Isom said the district is already running out of space for the children they have and a new school would be ideal.

“What were you doing 47 years ago?” Superintendent Robin Perez asked. “Some of you weren’t even born. That’s how old our youngest building is. Our oldest building is 79 years old.”

Perez said the committee will not be limited to deciding whether or not a new school is needed but also looking to see if classrooms need upgrades in technology and programs that will be used.

Robert Nicks, who is consulting for the school board, will work with the committee. Nicks has worked with other districts to obtain bonds.

“In the past, at another district within 35 miles of here, I had a gentleman tell me that he successfully fought against the past two bond issues,” Nicks said. “We welcomed him to the group because everyone’s voice matters. By the end of it, he told me that not only was he going to vote for the bond, his entire coffee group was going to vote for it.”

Nicks said that it will be the committee’s job to make recommendations to the school board as to which issues should go up for a bond, but it is at the discretion of the board to make the final determination.

The committee will meet once a month for six months. The meetings begin a 6 p.m. and wrap up around 8 p.m. Each session ends with a Q&A so members of the committee have a chance to clarify any concerns they have.

There will be a tour of Highland Park Elementary at 5 p.m. Oct. 22, which will be immediately followed by a 6 p.m. meeting in the Langham Elementary auditorium.