District leaders celebrated the victory and explained the package will save the district millions of dollars, upwards of $12-plus million a year from maintenance and utility costs that will no longer be necessary. That money will be reinvested in teachers' salaries. In addition, the school will receive "much-needed security upgrades, modern technology upgrades, and help to inspire learning environments that all of our students and teachers deserve," AISD Superintendent Anthony Mays said during the press conference.
Mays said teachers should expect to see a salary increase within the next two years, and he hopes to help achieve the goal of becoming the highest-paying district in Central Texas. How much of an increase, however, is not yet decided.
"We’re ready to hit the ground running and anticipate that we’ll complete the vast majority of the projects included in the 2022 bond in the next five years, with all projects delivered within six years," Mays said. "In the coming weeks, we will begin working to form the Campus Architectural Teams (CATs) at schools that will undergo modernizations, as well as open concept schools slated for modifications."
Mays said as far as the school upgrades go, the district will prioritize Title I schools, which serve underrepresented communities in the district.
All three propositions passed during the elections with Propositions A, B and C receiving "yes" votes at 72.55%, 72.09% and 58.1%, respectively.
Proposition A will cost around $2.32 billion. Included in the proposition are safety upgrades, infrastructure improvements, school modernizations and new school buses. Twenty-five of the district’s schools will either be fully modernized or modernized in phases. The district said it chose campuses with aging or insufficient infrastructure for the renovations. Additionally, Proposition A also includes new keys, locks and fencing for some campuses; upgrades to heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, plumbing and life safety systems; and nearly $26 million for new school buses. Other improvements include upgraded athletic facilities and the building or upgrading of mental health centers at 42 campuses.
Proposition B will fund technology improvements and is valued at $75.54 million. Of that, $45 million will go toward buying devices for students and staff, while $10 million will go toward updating the district’s network infrastructure.
Proposition C will fund upgrades for the district’s athletic facilities and is valued at $47.43 million.
Officials with the district said an increase of $0.01 per $100 valuation to the debt service tax rate is likely necessary with the passing of the bond in full. This means, for example, a homeowner with a $500,000 property would likely pay $50 more per year in property taxes. This is still a lower rate than the previous fiscal year’s tax rate, which was the lowest in 21 years with a $0.0651 decrease from fiscal year 2021-22. This does not necessarily mean a lower bill, though, as AISD’s median market value increased by 49.74% from 2021-22, while the median taxable property value increased 11.51% during the same time period.
