The Willis ISD board of trustees adopted an order Jan. 10 calling for a $218.1 million school building bond election May 4.

What you need to know

The board unanimously approved the adoption of the order after the district’s Long Range Planning Committee presented the proposed package at a regular board meeting.

The Long Range Planning Committee met for the first time in August and conducted seven meetings over the course of five months. The 81-member committee concluded Jan. 8.

The May bond package includes four propositions:


Proposition A ($102.7 million): Willis High School ninth-grade expansion with parking lot upgrades and new transportation center
  • The expansion will increase the capacity by 1,200 students and will include the addition of two gymnasiums and a cafeteria. The new transportation facility is intended to serve approximately 100 buses with six bays, offices for 12 staff members and a training/break room.
Proposition B ($68.8 million): Athletic complex and stadium with community room
  • The athletic complex and new stadium will add approximately 8,500 seats.
Proposition C ($19.6 million): Aquatic center
  • The aquatic center will include a 50-meter competition swimming pool. According to the presentation, community members will also have access to the pool for exercise and swim lessons. The center will also include a separate diving area, girls and boys locker rooms, storage space, classrooms, and an outside seating area.
Proposition D ($27 million): Student activity center
  • The potential 120,000-square-foot indoor facility will include classrooms and a media room, girls and boys locker rooms, offices, a weight room, wrestling room, equipment storage, a multipurpose use indoor field, Air Force Junior ROTC space, and a baseball/softball area.
Items left off the May bond were a staff day care center, Elementary School No. 8, Middle School No. 4, maintenance and safety funds.

The cost

According to the presentation, the maximum tax impact for the proposed bond is $0.079.
  • The current tax rate for the 2023-24 fiscal year is $1.0002 per $100 assessment.
  • If the bond is passed, the tax rate for FY 2024-25 could increase to $1.0792 per $100 assessment.
  • WISD has reduced the overall tax rate by $0.388 per $100 assessment since 2018.
The timeline

If the bond is passed in May, the district anticipates the design phase to begin on all projects, except the aquatic center, in the summer or fall this year.


Opening timeline expectations for completing each project include:
  • Transportation center in spring 2026
  • Multipurpose gymnasium in fall 2026
  • Athletic complex, stadium and aquatic center in spring 2027
  • The ninth-grade expansion in fall 2027
The timeline is subject to change.

Next steps

The last day to register to vote is April 4.
  • First day of early voting is April 22.
  • Election day is May 4.