EDUCATION
Nearly $2B Northwest ISD bond supports growing enrollment
The Northwest ISD bond proposal will be broken down into three propositions.
Proposition A: $1.67B
Proposition B: $301.56M
• 4 new elementary schools • 2 replacement elementary schools • 1 new middle school • 1 new high school • 4 early childhood centers • Agriculture center • New buses • Safety and security upgrades
Analyzing the pieces The bond is divided into three parts, or propositions: Proposition A is approx- imately $1.6 billion; Proposition B is a little more than $300 million; and Prop- osition C is just less than $22 million. According to officials, funds for Prop- osition A are slated for educational and capital improvement. To accommodate the district’s growth—the bond pack- age provides space for an additional 8,400 students—Proposition A includes funding for the construction of six new schools: one new high school, one new middle school and four new elemen- tary schools. It also funds replacement schools for Justin Elementary and Prai- rie View Elementary. Further funding will go toward four early childhood centers, a second agriculture center, land acquisition for future schools and new buses. Proposition A includes relocating the transportation facility and maintenance building, and infrastructure lifecycle replacements and efficiency projects, such as replacing roofs and flooring as well as installing LED lighting, accord- ing to the NISD bond website. Expenditures when it comes to equity and evolving needs are also covered under Proposition A. According to the NISD bond website, these projects include enlarging high school cafeterias, upgrading com- petition gyms and auditoriums, turf and track replacements at Wilson Middle School and Northwest High School’s sub-varsity field, upgrades to the middle school family kitchen
BY MARK FADDEN
• 3 new football stadiums • Renovations of Texan Field, NISD Stadium at Northwest High School
The largest school bond package in the history of Northwest ISD will be on the May 6 ballot. If passed, the tax rate would increase by one-tenth of a penny. The fund- ing from the bonds will go toward the construction of new school facilities, renovating existing facilities and pur- chasing new technology devices for teachers and students. Assistant Superintendent of Facili- ties Tim McClure said the district has averaged about 1,000-1,100 new stu- dents each year over the past 20 years. After the 2021-22 school year, McClure said growth in the district spiked to 2,500 new students. “The main part of this bond is really focused on growth,” McClure said during a Feb. 13 board meeting. “Roughly 86% [of the bond] is deal- ing with the growth that we’re seeing within the Northwest ISD boundary.” One-tenth of a penny on a resident’s property tax bill would equate to a handful of dollars more for residents’ tax bills. For example, according to NISD officials, if all three proposi- tions are approved by voters, a home valued at $450,000—which is the median home value in NISD—would see an increase of $4.10 per year on the homeowner’s tax bill. This exam- ple includes the $40,000 homestead exemption. A Northwest ISD web- site, found at www.nisdtxbond.org/ tax-finance, has an interactive slider that shows the exact tax amount based upon the home valuation.
Proposition C: $21.75M
• New technology devices for students and teachers
SOURCE: NORTHWEST ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
If approved, the bond package should increase the tax rate by one-tenth of a penny. Here are some examples of what that means for homes of three different values.
HOME VALUATION
$300,000
$550,000
$900,000
$3.00 more per $100 valuation
$5.50 more per $100 valuation
$9 more per $100 valuation
SOURCE: NORTHWEST ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
and consumer science kitchen, and replacing classroom furniture. Further spending under Proposi- tion A would be used to upgrade the district’s safety and security, and tech- nology infrastructure. These expenses include security and safety hardware, as well as cyber security upgrades.
Proposition B is approximately $300 million, and would go toward build- ing new home stadiums at three high schools, and renovations at Texan Field and NISD Stadium. Proposition C, coming in at around $22 million, is for new student and teacher technology devices.
Parents know their child’s education is more than just one high- stakes test on one day. Let’s prepare our students for the future, expand public school accountability, and Measure What Matters.
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