Graham ISD Board of Trustees Call November 3 School Bond Election
On Tuesday evening, the Graham ISD (GISD) Board of Trustees unanimously called a school bond election for Nov. 3. The decision came following a recommendation from students, educators, parents, taxpayers and community leaders serving on a Facility Planning Committee. This group has been working since last fall to study the condition of existing facilities, projected enrollment and options for managing students under various grade and building configurations.
The $60 million single-proposition proposal will primarily include construction of a new (Grades 1-5) elementary school to replace Crestview and Woodland elementaries, safety, security and accessibility projects at Pioneer Elementary, Graham Junior High and Graham High and renovations/upgrades for Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs like welding, agriculture and culinary arts. There is also a proposed project to provide equity for female students by renovating spaces for dressing and locker rooms.
The proposed new elementary school would be built on the current district-owned Woodland Elementary site, and is projected to open in the fall of 2029. Consolidating from three elementary schools into two new or renovated buildings addresses the aging facilities and systems at both Woodland and Crestview and is currently projected to save GISD more than $640,000 every year in operating costs. The committee reviewed estimates to renovate all three current elementaries and it significantly exceeded the projected costs to build a new grades 1-5 campus and renovate Pioneer Elementary. The consolidation proposal does not impact teacher jobs because the same number of students would be served in two schools instead of three.
Students and staff would not be displaced or temporarily relocated during the construction process. After the new school is built, the existing Woodland facility would be torn down to provide space for an accessible playground, expanded parking area and newly designed parent pick-up/drop-off area. Trustees plan to sell the Crestview property to make way for a more affordable housing development and use the money to support the operating budget or to fund additional capital improvements projects identified districtwide.
Bond elections are a way for school districts to ask voters in the community for permission to borrow money for new school construction, renovations, safety and security projects and other identified projects. The money is paid back over time with interest, which is similar to what you do when you finance the purchase or renovation of a home. Similar to most other school districts, the District does not receive school funding dedicated to the capital projects proposed in this bond, and the District does not have fund balance sufficient to cover these costs. It has been 18 years since GISD voters last approved a school bond election.
The District's financial advisor projects that approval of the bond package would result in a debt service tax rate increase of 5 cents. This is anticipated to equal less than $3 per month on the average valued homestead in GISD. However, citizens 65 and older have their taxes frozen if they have a Homestead Exemption in place, and their taxes may not exceed their frozen limit as long as they do not make significant upgrades to their primary residence. Passage of the bond does not impact a taxpayer's frozen limit. That will remain in place regardless of the outcome of the bond election.
GISD has been committed to transparency and community engagement throughout the entire facility planning process. If voters approve the proposal, the district will follow a process to bid out the projects and hire construction companies to complete the various projects. If voters reject the proposal, the district will not receive funds to complete the facility projects.
GISD will schedule presentations at each school and at various community locations where leaders will share more information and answer questions about the bond election and proposed projects. In addition, GISD will launch a detailed website outlining the facts about the bond election, and will add a FAQ section as questions come in about the bond proposal. Mailings to all taxpayers are also planned along with social media messages to share facts and project details with GISD stakeholders.
In the meantime, you can learn more about the Facility Planning Committee’s recommendation to the Board, the Facility Needs Assessment, and the results of a Community Survey on the FPC website.
Early voting in Young and Stephens Counties takes place Oct. 19-30. Election day voting will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The last day for citizens to register to vote to participate in this election is Monday, Oct. 5.