Hutto ISD facilities planning committee recommends $482M bond package

After meeting six times beginning in August, Hutto ISD's long-range facilities planning committee recommended the district call a bond election for a bond package totaling $482 million.

Representatives from the committee—which consisted of approximately 60 parents, students, community members and district staff—presented their recommendation to the HISD board of trustees at a Dec. 8 meeting.

The committee's $482 million recommendation breaks down as follows:

• $63 million for the construction of an eighth elementary school
• $70 million for the construction of a ninth elementary school
• $68 million for Hutto High School renovations and additions
• $14 million for adding classrooms to existing middle schools
• $180 million for building the Ninth Grade Center out to a comprehensive high school
• $32 million for land acquisition
• $24 million for deferred maintenance projects
• $10 million for buses and satellite operations
• $21 million for technology

Over the course of its six meetings, the committee received presentations on topics including school finance and HISD growth projections and toured district facilities before working together to formulate its recommendation.

Ashley Rendon, an HISD parent who served on the committee, said one major priority the committee identified was building and expanding schools to ensure the district's capacity keeps pace with student growth.

"Right now, we just don't have enough room for the students we have right now in the district," Rendon said. "To get back on track, we'll need new schools."

The board now has until Feb. 17 to decide whether to accept the committee's recommendation; if it does, the bond package will appear on the ballot in the May 6 election.

"I want to extend my sincere gratitude to all of our committee members for volunteering their time, insights and dedication to this months-long effort," Superintendent Celina Estrada Thomas said. "We are fortunate to have an engaged community of parents and stakeholders."