Keller ISD voters will see a $828.11 million bond as they head to the ballot box Nov. 3.
KISD board members approved to place the item on the ballot with a 5-1 vote with board member Chris Coker dissenting during an Aug. 13 special-called meeting. The bond looks to address campus improvements, maintenance and repairs, technology upgrades and athletic facility improvements.
The bond, if approved, will not include the current interest and sinking tax rate for voters, Superintendent Coy Wilson said. Taxpayers currently pay 33 cents into the I&S rate, which is the portion of the school district’s budget that goes toward debt and capital improvement projects.
The details
The bond package is broken down into five propositions:
- Proposition A ($756.3 million): will fund updates to roofing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, code compliance and safety systems across the district. It will also fund a partial rebuild of Keller Middle School.
- Proposition B ($28 million): will fund a refresh of staff and student devices.
- Proposition C ($8.97 million): will fund the updates to the KISD Natatorium to allow the facility to resume operations.
- Proposition D ($11.03 million): will fund KISD Athletic Complex repairs including lighting, track and turf replacement and restroom renovations.
- Proposition E ($23.91 million): will fund the installation of artificial turf on all KISD middle schools as well as high school baseball and softball fields.
The last bond called by KISD passed in 2019 and provided $315 million for campus and technology improvements.
The bond package comes after months of conversations with the district’s citizen bond planning committee and the district’s long range planning committee. Discussions started in January before being presented to board members in July and final approval to place it on the ballot.
“Our committees did a lot of great work,” Wilson said. “They made the best decisions that they possibly could. I feel good about the package they put together. They were thoughtful. It goes a long way to address the needs.”
What they’re saying
Coker voted against placing the bond on the ballot because of the price tag, he said. He said the district could instead look at calling a smaller bond and slowly working through projects.
“My issue is not with the bond in general, my issue is the amount of the bond,” he said.
Board member Heather Washington said she does not take the size of the bond lightly. The money, she said, needs to be spent wisely.
“This bond represents the best path forward to take for our students in Keller ISD and that has to be our highest priority,” board member Randy Campbell said.
Looking ahead
The last day to register to vote is Oct. 5 for the November election. Early voting runs Oct. 19-25 with Election Day taking place Nov. 3.
