Committee votes to propose BISD bond
During the last in a series of five meetings, the BISD Citizens’ Advisory Committee unanimously elected to move forward with a bond proposal to the Bandera Independent School District (BISD) Board of Trustees.
This would be the first proposal to the board since 2002.
Last month’s meeting marked the end in a process in which 50 citizens, parents, teachers, community leaders and administrators were educated on district needs and up-to-date learning space and toured campuses.
A bond of $80,231,062 was proposed to be presented in a single proposal package. The average homeowner of a $300,000 house would see a total rise in their tax bill by $340 a year, $28 per month.
The $22,000,000 school bond passed in 2002 would be approximately $78 million dollars adjusted for inflation. Comparatively, the bonds will be fiscally alike, but a majority of the 2023 bond work will center on Bandera High School.
While the school district sets the tax rate, the appraisal office sets the value of taxable property. This increase in value has caused Bandera County citizens’ taxes to rise. BISD has no control over property value set by another entity and can only set the rate on which that value is taxed.
In fact, BISD has decreased their tax rate every year since 2019 and boasts the-second lowest tax rate in both Bandera and Medina County. Only Utopia ISD has a lower tax rate.
The bond would touch every campus in the district. The projects proposed were prioritized by the committee, but the BISD school board will have the final say on what is done.
Local realtor and parent Larry Wood made an impassioned plea for the committee to consider all the projects on the prioritized list.
“You don’t ask, you don’t get,” he asserted.
Bond consultants Kimberly Bow and Daniel Perez concurred but also reminded the committee that fewer propositions could be a factor in the voting patterns of the community.
One of the primary bond projects would be increased safety and security from the addition of front door vestibules on each campus. Campus fencing and fire/intrusion alarms are also slated to be installed on each campus if the bond passes.
Another major project proposed is a Career and Technical Education Center at Bandera High School.
This would allow for the customization of classrooms to suit subjects taught like floral design, computer science, robotics, culinary arts, nursing, animal science, building trades, science, welding and ROTC.
These improved facilities would allow students to graduate with a diploma and a work-related certificate. Superintendent Gary Bitzkie reiterated this would be ideal for BISD graduates.
Another bond feature would add HVAC to elementary school gyms. The High School Auditorium would also be renovated to UIL specs so the high school could host band, choir and theater contests. The auditorium has not seen any major renovations since its 1972 construction.
A multipurpose building would be constructed on the high school campus that could be used by the community and alleviate space concerns for the athletic department. At present, no available locker room space is available to visiting boys’ teams.
Using bond money, the district would convert from fluorescent to LED lighting, thereby saving money on utility bills. New HVACs and the high school roof replacement are also slated to be paid for by the bond.
If the BISD school board approves the bond proposal, then architects will be selected to design plans for the improvements and renovations to campuses. The design process would include input from the teachers and administrators who would work in those areas.
The bond steering committee representatives plan to present the bond proposal in early spring for a possible election in May.
The next BISD board meeting is Monday, Jan. 9 at 6 p.m. at the BISD Administration Building.