Election scheduled for May 11

On May 11, voters will decide whether to pass Austin ISD's $892 million bond, making it the largest bond proposition the district has ever brought to the ballot.

Should voters approve the bond, improvements to more than 30 Central Austin schools would include classroom additions, campus repairs and transportation upgrades. More costly projects would involve building three new elementary schools, upgrading technology and expanding academic initiatives as well as athletics and fine arts programs.

School districts use bonds to help fund projects that are not part of the day-to-day operations. If voters approve the bond package, it gives the district the authority to issue the bonds.

The effect of the bond on homeowners would be about a $70 increase per year, or $5.83 per month, on property taxes for an Austin resident with a $200,000 home. If voters approve the bond program, the AISD tax rate would increase by 3.5 cents during the duration of the bond program. Property taxes on businesses would increase at the same rate.

The bond program also includes safety and security improvements, which would include adding surveillance cameras and updating the district's emergency systems. Superintendent Meria Carstarphen said that because of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut last December, Austin ISD parents expect the district to update its security.

"No school and no [school] system is doing a great job if safety isn't your No. 1 priority for staff and students and the families that come on our campuses," Carstarphen said.

The bond program includes four propositions that address energy conservation, transportation and food service upgrades, academic initiatives and new infrastructure. Proposition 2 includes building three new elementary schools, which would be determined by population growth, board President Vincent Torres said.