Education
BY JARRETT WHITENER
SCUCISD trustees discuss potential May bond election
What else?
Looking ahead
On Jan. 8, Chief Operations Officer JD Mosley said the bond package will be split into multiple propositions, and any savings from the proposi- tions can be used for similar projects. In 2019, the legislature changed the mainte- nance and operations formula to go to current values, equalizing the playing field for districts, Superintendent Paige Meloni said. However, Meloni said the interest and sinking rate is unequal, and larger districts have the capac- ity to take out millions of dollars without the need for a tax rate increase, while smaller districts take out small bonds with significant tax increases. These challenges make it difficult to determine how large a bond school district should be. “We all want these wonderful things for our kids, but this is the side of the house and the Texas public school system that is not equal in any way, shape or form,” Meloni said. “It makes decisions for boards of trustees and communities agonizing when you are putting that on the taxpayer.”
During the Jan. 8 board workshop, Trustee Amy Thomas asked what the process for informing residents would be, citing the recent tax rate election failure. Meloni said the district is working on initiatives to talk to voters at community events. Once the bond is called, additional presentations and communication efforts will be rolled out. The board of trustees has until Feb. 13 to call for the bond election, giving time to refine the final bond package. The goal is to have the bond issued in May, spend one year designing projects and go out for bid in 2027. If called, the bond will appear on the May 2 ballot. The last day to register to vote for the May election is April 2.
• Clemens High School cafeteria expansion • Playground improvements at elementary schools During a Jan. 8 workshop, trustees discussed a list of projects not flagged as a priority, totaling around $256.95 million. From this list, trustees decided to pull the refresh of Dobie Junior High for the bond package in May.
Chief Finance Officer Brian Moy said the district has a bond capacity of $295 million , meaning only select projects could be chosen. The final project priority recommendation included more than 25 projects, totaling around $295.09 million . This list included projects such as: • Lehnhoff Stadium rebuild • Steele High School Fine Arts Building renovation and new CTE Building
After a decade since the last Schertz-Cibolo- Universal City ISD bond, the board of trustees Jan. 22 discussed the options for pursuing a bond in May with a focus on facility improvements, technology upgrades and stadiums. Since late 2024, district staff and committees have worked to consolidate a list of infrastructure needs for facilities. The final list featured more than $500 million in identified needs.
May election timeline
Feb.
Feb. 13: Deadline to call bond election
March
April 2: Last day to register to vote
April
April 20: First day of early voting
SCUCISD bond capacity SCUCISD has up to $295 million in bond capacity, and over $500 million in identified projects. The district plans to pursue a May bond covering nearly $295 million in projects.
Projects recommended Additional projects for consideration Total bond capacity
$295M
April 28: Last day of early voting
May
$512,727,419 project costs identified by committee
$295,097,347
$217,630,072
May 2: Election Day
June
$0
$100M
$200M
$300M
$400M
$500M
$600M
SOURCE: SCHERTZ-CIBOLO-UNIVERSAL CITY ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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