Voters will see two bond items on May 6
The San Marcos Consolidated ISD is calling for two election items with a projected cost of $166,187, 938 to appear on the upcoming May 6 ballot, according to school officials.
Both items received the approval of the SMCISD Board of Trustees during its regular meeting Feb. 13. District officials stated that they hope the public will support these propositions with an approval in the spring.
Early voting for the May 6 election begins on April 24 and continues through May 2 for SMCISD voters in Hays, Caldwell and Guadalupe counties, according to information in a SMCISD press release.
Voters will be asked to consider the following propositions in May.
Proposition A with a projected cost of $147,724,625, provides the bulk of what the district is hoping to accomplish with regard to construction, renovation, acquisition and school building equipment in the district, and it would provide funds for the purchase of necessary sites for school buildings and the purchase of new school buses.
Also included in Prop A, according to the press release, will be a new Mendez Elementary School building. Site management, renovations and improvements will be included at Bonham Pre-Kindergarten, Bowie Elementary, Crockett Elementary, De Zavala Elementary, Hernandez Elementary and Travis Elementary in Prop A.
During the Feb. 6 meeting, Pigg addressed potential concerns by parents and others that a new school for Mendez would not inappropriately mix demographic age groups.
Under Prop A, Goodnight Middle School is expected to see site improvements, among which are band and theater additions, and a new public address system to be made possible with a vote on approval of Prop A. Athletic renovations and additions as well as a new public address system for Miller Middle School are addressed here, too. At San Marcos High School, a voter seal of approval on Prop A would add classroom additions, and administration and performing arts additions.
Goodnight Middle School received a recommendation for a theatre arts addition with a blackbox classroom to be situated adjacent to the Band Hall. At the San Marcos High School, a series of performing arts renovations could include band room changes, with a Mariachi Program room and support space, an addition of a dance studio and a blackbox theater/classroom and support space.
Prop A would provide districtwide safety infrastructure, technology, transportation and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) improvements. This ties in with the Facilities Committee’s mandate to consider security and safety concerns in each of its campuses but particularly the schools identified in these two bond items.
For voter consideration, Proposition B would generate school bonds for the construction, renovation and equipment at San Marcos High School’s Rattler Stadium. Of keen interest to many, also included in Prop B would be replacement of the field turf at the stadium. Prop B has an estimated cost of $984,563.
Voters will also have the opportunity to show their approval or disapproval of Proposition C which is to consider bonds for the construction of a natatorium, or essentially an indoor swimming facility. The natatorium would be built at the high school and would offer students and the community, a 25-yard by 25-yard pool, with upport space, officials stated. The Facilities Committee recommended the indoor facility as opposed to an outdoor pool to assist in the growth of team sports and also to provide a swimming facility that would have greater potential for use by the community at large. Prop C will cost $17,478,750.
Prior to its vote on these two election items in the Feb. 13 meeting, the board met in Special Session on Feb. 6 to hear from its Facilities Committee regarding the recommendations for changes and improvements to several of the district’s campuses that was used to draft the bond language for Propositions A, B and C.
During the Feb. 6 meeting, SMCISD Facilities Committee Chairman Michael Pigg offered the superintendent and the board a slide presentation summary of the committee’s recent activities and decisions for significant campus improvements across the district.
Pigg said his committee explored options drawn up in conjunction with feasibility studies from Perkins & Will, an architectural services company working with the district to provide the feasibility studies in advance of committee work. Many of the improvements that the public will be asked to approve are related to increased security and safety, as well as repair and maintenance of existing buildings.
SMCISD voters will be asked to authorize the SMCISD Board of Trustees to purchase attendance credits from the state with local tax revenue. This is necessary according to school officials as SMCISD’s property values “have reached a point where the district has entered into recapture.” According to SMCISD officials, state law does require what is called an Attendance Credit Election – also known as a Chapter 49 Election – for voters to approve the process by which the school district makes these mandatory recapture payments if such an election was not held previously. This could be as much as a check for $6 million from SMCISD to the state.
If passed by voters, the school district would be empowered to make its mandatory recapture payments to the state.
Should voters vote against the measure, district officials stated that SMCISD would be subject to what is termed a “Detachment of Territory.” What this entails is that the state would have the right to “detach a portion of the school district’s total property value.” Similarly, it would be necessary for SMCISD to raise the interest and sinking ould need to raise the interest and sinking tax rate(I&S) to pay that existing debt, leaving the district with a smaller tax base after the detachment of territory.
Staff reports contributed.
