Keller ISD leaders intend to hold a bond election for campus improvements, maintenance and repairs, technology upgrades, and athletic facility improvements on Nov. 3, following trustee approval at a July 23 meeting. The measure passed 5-1 with trustee Chris Coker voting against the bond. The last bond called by Keller ISD passed in 2019 and provided $315 million for campus and technology improvements.
The overview
A presentation from bond committee member Felix Mira said the proposed bond package totals $837 million for maintenance, repairs and renovations at 34 campuses. Out of the total $837 million, roughly 21.8% of the money would go toward maintenance projects, and about 67.2% would go to modernizing and replacing district facilities, like replacing portions of Keller Middle School. Approximately 10.9% would go toward student programs.
Diving deeperThe bond, if approved by voters, would provide funds to replace grass with turf at middle school athletics fields as well as high school baseball and softball fields. The bond would also provide funds to replace portions of Keller Middle School to make the campus safer and more energy efficient, Mira said.
“[Keller Middle School] is not functional from a learning standpoint,” Mira said. “We want modern learning environments and we want it to be safe and we also want it to be energy efficient."
Superintendent Cory Wilson said the district is using maintenance and operations funds to maintain the grass athletics fields, which will cost about $8 million over the next eight years. By using bond money to replace the fields with turf, the district can free up the maintenance and operations dollars to increase teacher pay and fund other operating expenses.
“We're going to spend $8 million to redo all that and maintain [the fields] over the next course of eight years. That is $8 million that we can't invest in our teachers,” Wilson said.
Other proposed bond projects include:
- Cybersecurity improvements
- HVAC, plumbing, electrical and safety improvements across 34 campuses
- Replacement of the field house at the Keller Athletic Complex
- Natatorium restroom, HVAC, mechanical and plumbing repairs
What they’re sayingCoker voted against calling the bond package, saying he would prefer the package to have a smaller scope.
“I cannot support a bond package this large,” Coker said. “If you had come to me with strictly electrical and plumbing, I’d be all over it 100%.”
Trustee Chelsea Kelly noted that KISD’s last bond package was in 2019, and suggested the district is overdue for a bond.
“When you do take into consideration that the last bond that we have is over $300 million and in 2019, we’ve had COVID since then [and] inflation is insane,” Kelly said. “We should technically probably be on our second bond package at this point.”
Some background
The Citizens Bond Advisory Committee developed the bond proposal over 11 meetings from January to June.
The committee was made of several district parents, staff, and business and civic leaders, committee member Greg McComas said.
Looking ahead
Trustees plan to hold a special meeting Aug. 13 to call the bond election to put the measure on the Nov. 3 ballot.
