By Kim Hilsenbeck.
Hays CISD Board of Trustees voted Monday to call a bond election, which would take place May 10.
A Growth Impact Committee of 25 community residents, appointed by the board last fall, explored whether or not the district should proceed with a bond election. The committee recommended in early February that Hays CISD green light the referendum.
Under the original bond amount, $59.3 million, the committee prioritized the district’s wish list, including the purchase of two tractor trailers for band instruments and a box truck for district mail delivery (e.g., within the district), for a combined value of $247,000.
According to a statement from district officials, “Our legal counsel has advised us these items are not allowed in the bond based on recent rulings from the Attorney General of Texas. Neither vehicle would be used to transport students. The district hopes to find alternative funding to purchase the vehicles.”
With those revisions, the total bond package was reduced from $59,271,500 to $59,091,500.
The bond still includes the purchase of two Suburbans to meet the transportation needs of homeless students who live outside of the district, as required by federal law.
Under the terms of the proposed 25-year bond, Hays CISD would build its sixth middle school on land already owned by the district. The most likely location would be in the Sunfield neighborhood in Buda on the east side of Interstate 35. The building would accommodate more than 600 students.
The bond would also allow the district to purchase new school buses and new computer workstations as well as fund additional technology and infrastructure purchases and upgrades, security improvements at several older middle schools and upgrade aging HVAC equipment.
In addition, Hays CISD would expand several of its existing vocational programs, including a new cosmetology program at both Hays and Lehman high schools in the fall. The bond would also allow the district to fund an expanded welding class and a bio-medical program.
Superintendent Mike McKie told community residents at several different public input meetings that a new high school would likely be on a separate bond several years down the road.
According to assistant superintendent Carter Scherff, the district expects to pay off a significant portion of the $59 million bond principal within 15 years.
For those with concerns about long-term loans on items with a much shorter shelf life, district officials say Hays CISD will pay off in principal the equivalent amount that those items cost.
At Monday’s board meeting, trustee Marty Kanetzky had just such a concern. She introduced a motion to remove the purchase of the workstations from the bond package and instead pay for them from the district’s general fund balance.
In a follow-up interview, she said, “I believe very strongly that we need the technology in the classroom,” but that “computers should be considered just like any other tool or resource we use daily. They will last longer than some consumables, but will most likely be obsolete in five years. We will then be paying for these items long after they are no longer in use and replacements have had to be purchased.”
Kanetzky said, “Purchasing [from the general fund] versus borrowing [on the bond] will save the taxpayers a considerable amount of money,” she wrote.
“Going forward,” Kanetzky said, “we should be designating a portion of the fund balance annually for future replacement of workstations (as we already do for band uniforms and playing field turf—both of which have longer expected lifetimes than the workstations).”
Board member Merideth Keller seconded the motion Monday night, allowing discussion to ensue.
Hays CISD School Board President Willie Tenorio reacted to the discussion, saying, “School districts do it both ways; can either do it from general fund or bond package or a combination. We discussed our best options at this time. We will examine how we do that in the future at the budget workshops.”
The first budget workshop will take place in March, though the date is not confirmed. Another workshop will take place in April. Tenorio said those preliminary workshops provide an overview of what the administration is proposing.
“It’s very educational,” he said.
All budget workshops are open to the public.
The district will then hold additional budget workshops in the summer prior to the start of the new fiscal year.
While Kanetzky’s motion did not pass, the board voted 7-0 to pass the bond as recommended by the Growth Impact Committee, minus the adjustments for the tractor trailers and mail truck.
The average homeowner in the district on a home valued at $150,000 would see an annual tax increase of $114.60, according to documents on the Hays CISD bond website.
Tenorio said, “We’re pleased with the outcome of the process. We had a really robust committee that weighed in on the need for improved facilities and better technology in the district. We were very, very open with the process. We know lots of people read the materials we put online. I’m really excited about the proposition we’re bringing to the voters on the May ballot.”
Tenorio added, “We are still available for questions that people need to understand the bond better. The superintendent and communications officer will be available to answer questions so that everybody is comfortable with the measure on the ballot this May.”
For more details on the bond and a line item breakdown of costs, visit www.hayscisd.net and click on the bond icon on the right.
