The bond would be focused on facility improvements, technology upgrades and stadiums.
The details
Since late 2024, district staff and committees have worked to consolidate a list of infrastructure needs for facilities. The final list featured more than $500 million in identified needs.
Chief Finance Officer Brian Moy said the district has a bond capacity of $295 million, meaning only select projects could be chosen.
The final project priority recommendation included more than 20 projects, totaling around $255.78 million. This list included projects such as:
- Lehnhoff Stadium rebuild
- Steele High School Fine Arts Building renovation
- Steele High School new CTE Building
- Clemens High School cafeteria expansion
- Playground improvements at elementary schools
- Bus fleet replacement
- Clemens High School new parking lot
- Renovations of J. Frank Dobie Junior High, Laura Ingalls Wilder Intermediate, Elaine S. Schlather Intermediate and Barbara C. Jordan Intermediate schools
- Multipurpose activity centers
- Monument signs
Chief Operations Officer JD Mosley said the bond package will be split into multiple propositions, and any savings from the propositions can be used for projects in a similar category as the ballot language.
Mosley said savings from the 2016 bond helped fund roof replacements, heating, ventilation and air conditioning replacements, classroom expansions and other projects from the 10-year plan.
“Those savings saved us in the last 10 years,” he said. “Had we not had those savings, we would have been in a different position than we are today.”
Mosley said that any savings as a result of an upcoming bond issuance will only be able to be spent on items related to the proposition for which the funds were allocated, meaning if the cost of facility improvements came in under budget, the savings would only be used for additional facility improvements.
What else?
Superintendent Paige Meloni said in 2019, the legislature changed the maintenance and operations formula to go to current values, equalizing the playing field for districts. However, Meloni said the interest and sinking rate is unequal, and larger districts have the capacity to take out millions of dollars without the need for a tax rate increase, while smaller districts take out small bonds with significant tax increases. These challenges make it difficult when considering how large a bond the school district should take out.
“We all want these wonderful things for our kids, but this is the side of the house and the Texas public school system that is not equal in any way, shape or form,” Meloni said. “It makes decisions for boards of trustees and communities agonizing when you are putting that on the taxpayer.”
Looking ahead
Trustee Amy Thomas asked what the process for informing residents would be, citing the recent tax rate election failure.
Meloni said the district is working on initiatives to talk to voters at community events. Once the bond is called, additional presentations and communication efforts will be rolled out.
The board of trustees has until Feb. 14 to call for the bond election, giving time to refine the final bond package. A meeting is planned for Jan. 22 to further discuss the proposed bond package.
The goal is to have the bond issued in May, spend one year designing projects and go out for bid in 2027.
If called, the bond will appear on the May 2 ballot. The last day to register to vote in the May election is April 2. Voter registration information can be found here.
