Updated Jan. 17 at 9:35 a.m.
Three out of four Round Rock ISD voters who responded to a recent district survey said they would support a new school bond measure, according to survey results that will be presented Thursday to the RRISD board of trustees.
Since this past fall, the RRISD citizen bond committee has been vetting projects and programs to include in a proposed 2017 bond election. RRISD trustees will ultimately decide whether a bond package is put before voters and what that package might contain. Trustees must call for a bond election by Feb. 17 in order for a bond to appear on ballots May 6.
RRISD's survey, which was conducted by phone, included responses from 302 registered voters who live within the district's boundaries.
District officials want a new high school to alleviate overcrowding at Round Rock High School, which had 3,143 students enrolled during the 2015-16 school year but could have as many as 4,000 students enrolled by 2021 if overcrowding is not addressed, according to RRISD.
According to the survey:
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75.8 percent of respondents said they were either "for" or "lean more toward supporting" an RRISD school bond, while
18.2 percent responded they were either "against" or "lean against" a bond.
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46.5 percent said they believe RRISD's average high school enrollment of about 2,800 students is "about the right size" for a high school, while
44.6 percent responded that it is "too large." Funding for
RRISD's proposed sixth high school on Pearson Ranch Road in Austin is expected to be part of a new school bond if approved by district trustees. RRISD officials have said a new high school will help alleviate overcrowding at Round Rock High School, which had 3,143 students enrolled during the 2015-16 school year—but could have as many as 4,000 students enrolled by 2021 if overcrowding is not addressed, according to the district. The new high school would take a little more than two years to construct at a cost of $150 million, including $130 million for the core facility and $20 million for the school’s auditorium, according to RRISD.
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46.5 percent said they would "strongly support" including funding for
a new RRISD indoor aquatic facility in a 2017 school bond,
28.7 percent said they would "somewhat support,"
14.9 percent said they would "somewhat oppose" and
8.9 percent said they would "strongly oppose" including the project. RRISD and the city of Round Rock have explored the construction of a new swimming and diving facility, also known as a natatorium, in north Round Rock. A yearlong study produced two proposals: a 60,000-65,000-square-foot facility built for $31 million or a scaled back 50,000-square-foot facility built for $24 million.
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49 percent of respondents said RRISD has done a "very good job" and 40 percent said the district has done a "somewhat good job" in providing education to its students.
The survey also asked respondents how they would feel about the potential bond's effect on property tax rates. It gave respondents two scenarios: one with a bond including a $10 monthly property tax increase, and a second that went with a $5 monthly increase.
According to the results,
76 percent of respondents said they would be "for" or would "lean more toward supporting" a bond with a $5 monthly increase, while
64 percent gave the same response for a bond with a $10 monthly increase.
RRISD's next regular board of trustees meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday in the Round Rock High School Lecture Hall at 300 Lake Creek Drive, Round Rock.
Correction: The initial version of this story made an incorrect reference to the property tax increase scenarios as percentage increases. Both scenarios involve dollar increases.