DALLAS — At least two-thirds of the school bonds on Saturday’s ballot in Texas were approved, as most voters continue to give school officials the green light to build new campuses and update aging facilities.
About 50 school districts had referendums on the ballot last week and 34 districts had their bond packages approved, according to Joe Smith, a former superintendent and executive director of
In North Texas, voters in two districts that have high school football powerhouses approved bond packages that include projects to upgrade athletic facilities.
Voters in the Allen Independent School District approved a $119.4 million referendum, which includes $59.6 million for a new, 18,000-seat stadium, $23.3 million for a 1,500-seat auditorium at the district high school, and about $36.5 million for a new building to house the maintenance, transportation and student-nutrition departments.
Enrollment growth within the district, which is about 25 miles north of Dallas, has slowed of late after double-digit gains annually for most of the last decade. Allen ISD currently serves nearly 18,000 students. Last fall, the Allen Eagles won the Texas 5A Division 1 high school football championship, which was the first ever for the district.
In November, voters overwhelmingly passed a $219 million bond package that officials said would complete the district’s school construction projects.
When the board decided to call for the most recent election, trustees said they chose to hold two elections in order to get several projects, including new elementary schools, moving forward as soon as possible last year, while taking more time to study the stadium, auditorium and service center projects.
Carroll Independent School District voters approved three separate propositions worth about $138.8 million — $114 million for new campuses, $19.3 million for enhancements to fine arts programs, as well as improvements to some athletic facilities at various campuses, and $4.6 million for expansions to the district’s football stadium among other projects.
The stadium expansion plans call for 1,600 more seats, pushing total capacity to more than 12,500, as well as a new turf and expansions to the press box. Southlake Carroll high school has become a national football power this decade, finishing atop the USA Today Super 25 in both 2004 and 2006 laying claim to the national title both years.
A number of light poles at high school stadium across the country, including some in Texas, have toppled this year and many more have been found to have cracks. At least three light poles at the Southlake Carroll stadium have cracks.
The Coppell Independent School District saw its two propositions worth about $55.9 million overwhelmingly approved with 73% of votes cast in favor of the bonds.
The district sits just northeast of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and had been selling notes for funds to provide general maintenance and acquisition of land, furniture, technology, and buses.
Sid Grant, assistant superintendent for business and support services, said officials will try to get a bond issue to market as soon as possible.
In central Texas, voters in College Station Independent School District approved a $144.2 million bond package for a new elementary school, the first phase of a second high school, acquisition of buses, as well as construction of a new transportation center, among other projects.
Officials expect to issue the bonds in three equal tranches of about $48.07 million over the next three years.
Meanwhile, voters in the Wylie Independent School District rejected a $84.5 million bond package with 51% against the bonds and 49% in favor of the referendum.
Last November, the district, which is about 25 miles northeast of downtown Dallas, had a similar bond package fail, as well, by a vote of 53% to 47%.
Nederland Independent School District’s $120.3 million bond package was resoundingly rejected with 80% of the 4,105 votes cast against the referendum. The Nederland Citizens Acting for Responsible Education committee formed earlier this year to help defeat the bond package and appears to have achieved its goal.
The Gulf Coast district in the southeast corner of the state identified needs for three new elementary schools, one middle school, upgrades to existing campuses, and renovations to the district’s stadium. Each of the district’s seven schools are each at least 38 years old, including one elementary school that was built in 1939.
The community is still grappling with the aftereffects from both Hurricane Rita, which hit the area in September 2005, and Hurricane Ike, which hit the Texas coast last September. The storms were some of the most intense and most destructive in recorded history and flooded much of the Gulf Coast.
