The Spring ISD board of trustees voted unanimously at its Aug. 9 regular meeting to place a $330 million bond referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot. The proposal includes $280 million for facilities, $32 million for technology and $18 million for safety and transportation needs. The SISD bond steering committee presented its recommendation for a bond referendum at the board’s Aug. 4 work session where the board of trustees requested additional information on several elements of the bond package. The board requested information regarding the cost of including more bus routes in the district’s transportation needs. The bond package proposed by the bond steering committee included $6 million for 60 new buses to expand bus routes for students who live 1 mile or more from their schools. The district previously bussed students who lived 1.5 miles or more from their schools. These expanded bus routes would serve an additional 5,000 students, Chief Operations Officer Mark Miranda said. Trustee Justine Durant asked what the cost would be to transport students who live closer to the respective school, within a half of a mile. Miranda said the district would need $7.5 million more, in addition to the $6 million already slated for new buses in the bond referendum. The board voted to approve placing the referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot without changing the recommendations made by the bond steering committee. “It’s been ten years since we’ve done this,” said Alex Warren, bond steering committee member and SISD Education Foundation president. “It benefits students, teachers, and the district.” The district’s last bond referendum, for $280 million, was held in 2007. “The next step is to go out and educate our community about what we’re trying to do,” SISD Superintendent Rodney Watson said after the meeting.