Board moves forward with possible $59.3 million bond
The Hays CISD Board of Trustees on Monday accepted the recommendation of the Growth Impact Committee to move forward with a possible $59.3 million bond in 2014. The recommendation consisted of 17 line-item projects totaling more than $59 million. The largest item would be the district’s sixth middle school. The recommendation also includes: safety and security renovations, classroom technology and technology infrastructure, transportation items, and major maintenance.
Now that the Board accepted the recommendation, it will hold public forums in January and early February. The public forum dates are:
Jan. 23, 2014, 6:30 p.m., ahlstrom Middle School
Jan. 25, 2014, 2 p.m., Wallace Middle School
Feb. 3, 2014, 6:30 p.m. at Lehman High School
Based on public input, the board will make a final decision in February whether to call a bond election and what to include on the ballot. If called, the bond election would be May 10, 2014.
Board to accept applications to fill vacancy
The Hays CISD Board of Trustees voted Monday to solicit applications from interested citizens to fill a vacancy created when trustee Shaun Bosar resigned earlier in December. Bosar, who represented District 1, moved out of the Hays CISD school district and was no longer eligible to serve.
Board members voted 5-1 in favor of developing a replacement protocol that would allow for the board to appoint someone for the open position.
Merideth Keller opposed the appointment process and instead recommended leaving the position vacant until the May election cycle. The term for Sandra Bryant, who represents District 2, also ends in May.
Keller told fellow trustees that since the District 1 position is already up for election in May, a board appointment for those four months would needlessly circumvent the voters. “Each Board member serves all children, not just those in our individual districts,” she said. “We also have two at-large members and two of our board members live very near District 1. That district would not go without representation if we left the seat vacant until the voters could select their own board member on May 10.”
The board will accept applications from Jan. 2 until 4 p.m. Jan. 14.
Members will review applications at the board workshop meeting Jan. 21 and interview candidates at the business meeting Jan. 27. The board will deliberate and may take action on filling the vacancy at a special called meeting Feb. 3.
