Approximately $367 million worth of district-wide improvements will be on the ballot May 6 as the Hays CISD board of trustees voted 6-1 to call a bond election Feb. 13. Trustee Esperanza Orosco was the dissenting vote.
The district’s previous bond in May 2022, totaling about $115.65 million focused on addressing growth and was packaged into one proposition; the upcoming bond will be split into four propositions and are as follows:
- Proposition A: Academics and growth ($208.81 million)
- Proposition B: Theater and fine arts, athletics and CTE ($102.86 million)
- Proposition C: Technology ($3.98 million)
- Proposition D: Outdoor multipurpose pavilions ($52.17 million)
The 2023 bond has been in the works for close to six months, and the Facilities & Bond Oversight Committee concluded the total would be around $423 million. At a Dec. 12 board of trustees meeting, the committee presented the bond proposal with upwards of 40 potential projects, some of which have been set aside for a future bond, according to agenda documents.
However, in a last-minute decision, the board opted to shift money around and reprioritize the projects to include a project that had been left out: a new weight room for Hays High School, bringing the bond total up to $367.82 million instead of $361 million.
