The TISD board of trustees voted unanimously to call for the school bond election during a Feb. 11 meeting, according to a Feb. 11 news release.
The details
At a Feb. 10 workshop meeting, TISD officials presented a reduced bond package with four propositions, each of which can be voted on separately during the May election.
TISD officials trimmed the initial bond package by removing the proposition to update natatoriums for an estimated $880,000, directing those funds to other renovation projects.
In the presentation, TISD Chief Financial Officer Zack Boles said the total tax rate will remain at $1.06 because the 2025 bond package is within the district's debt capacity of $430 million.
Breaking down the bond package
Proposition A is the most expensive at an estimated $331.6 million and mainly focuses on refreshing aging campuses and facilities while adjusting to student growth. Proposition C is the least costly at an estimated $2.8 million and aims to provide upgrades, renovations and maintenance to Tomball High School's football stadium.
Tomball voters will consider the following propositions:
Proposition A: general purpose
Estimated cost: $331.6 million
- Athletic facilities: $26.2 million
- Career and technical education expansion:$12 million
- Connections Academy renovation: $2 million
- Early Excellence Academy-South: $35 million
- Elementary library refresh: $2.5 million
- Elementary No. 13, land and site development only: $38 million
- Expansion of special services program: $8 million
- Existing campus refresh: $8 million
- Facility infrastructure replacements: $75.9 million
- Fleet additions and replacements: $27.41 million
- Fine Arts updates: $4 million
- New Tomball Intermediate School: $59 million
- Safety and security upgrades: $10.84 million
- Transportation Center expansion: $22.75 million
Estimated cost: $18 million
- Instructional technology retrofit: $3 million
- Staff device refresh: $3.5 million
- Student Chromebook refresh: $11.5 million
Estimated cost: $2.8 million
- Equipment and infrastructure
- Turf and track replacement/resurface
Estimated cost: $76.7 million
- Build fine arts/athletics multi-use facilities at Tomball, Tomball Memorial and Tomball West high schools
A bond steering committee, comprised of 16 parents, community members and nine staff members, met three times between December and January to engage the community and discuss what the district should prioritize.
After assessing facilities, programs and departments, and discussing them further, the steering committee recommended that TISD focus on facility infrastructure replacements, safety and security upgrades, and campus revitalization.
Additionally, the steering committee urged the school district to prioritize building multi-use facilities at Tomball, Tomball Memorial and Tomball West high schools.
The group officially presented its recommendation to the board at a Jan. 13 meeting.
What’s next
Those registered to vote within TISD attendance boundaries can vote on the May school bond package. The deadline to register to vote is April 3. Early voting will run from April 22-29, and election day is May 3.
