The first proposition, totaling $393.7 million, would fund bus purchases, technology updates, the construction of a sixth elementary school and new middle school, and design for a third middle school, per district documents.
The second proposition allocates $29.4 million for a baseball and softball complex at Argyle High School.
AISD parent Acela Spiegelberg said the district needs more schools but would prefer multiple smaller propositions to make it easier to vote against items like $100 million for land acquisition, which she said she felt are premature when balanced budgets and enrollment growth could change.
The impact
With an 8% growth rate, enrollment is on track to increase 86% by 2035 and the district must address instructional capacity to serve students, Superintendent Courtney Carpenter said.
The influx of homes in the district has led to a 235% surge in total taxable value from FY 2016-17 to FY 2024-25, or $1.5 billion to $5.05 billion. When this taxable value increases, the state can decrease the maintenance and operations tax rate.
While AISD anticipates no increase in the tax rate should the bond pass, a homeowner’s tax bill could go up if the county increases the district’s taxable value, Carpenter said. As growth continues AISD will need to call bonds to fund building additional facilities, she said.
Looking ahead
Without the passage of the bond, the district will reach elementary school capacity by 2029. The second new middle school could not be built, and therefore, another middle and high school rezone would occur, Carpenter said.
Students could attend classes in portables if new campuses are not built in tandem with AISD’s projected growth, AISD bond committee member Randy Fite said at a board meeting.
AISD has also expended all previous bond land money and currently owns only 50 acres in Furst Ranch, Carpenter said.
“With the anticipated growth, the district will search for a future elementary school site, a future middle school site, and a future high school site,” Carpenter said.
