Hays board to decide on bond package Monday

By Megan Wehring

HAYS CISD — Looking at a bond election May 1, 2021 in the range of $233 million, the Hays CISD Board of Trustees will make a decision on Monday, Jan. 25 as to whether or not to move forward.

The May 2020 bond election was originally postponed per Gov. Greg Abbott’s directives, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Hays CISD administration recommended the board to declare the bond moot for November 2020, thus cancelling that election.

Proposition A calls for expanding various schools within the district in order to accommodate present and projected growth. Trustees decided to move forward with the recommended $250,000 for land due diligence, $2.4 million in design fees for a future elementary school and one project manager.

Expansion at Negley and Elm Grove elementary schools and Wallace, Dahlstrom, Chapa and McCormick middle schools are included in Proposition A. While a new elementary school was among the recommended items, the board will hold off on adding that to the election order at this time.

“We are getting some more information,” said Board President Esperanza Orosco. “If needed, we can always amend the election order if it comes to that.”

Proposition B is based on renovations and rehabilitation district assets. These include HVAC, fire alarms, roofing, flooring, maintenance and hardscape/civil projects. The administration recommended 35 outdoor learning canopies to be considered for Proposition B, but the board only moved forward with the playground shade structures and one project manager.

Several trustees agreed that it would be better to slowly start adding shade structures to playgrounds, rather than 27 at once. Max Cleaver, chief operations officer, said it would be best to start with the campuses that don’t have any existing shade.

“My goal would be to figure out which campuses have none at all, start there and try to figure out where to get an even playing field,” Cleaver said. “There are some campuses that are fully covered and some that have none. So you would obviously start with the campuses that have none.”

Propositions C through F include stadium expansions at Johnson High and Lehman High, Lehman baseball and softball renovations, more parking for Shelton Stadium and a new administration building.