BY MARK FADDEN
The backstory
What’s next
At the March 6 community bond presentation, Superintendent Brad Schnautz said the district’s tax rate is the lowest it has been in 25 years, and it has been reduced by more than 47 cents over the last five years. This year’s bond is different in scope from GCISD’s last bond in 2016, which came in at just under $250 million. It included a new elementary school, the addition of two multipurpose facilities and a plan to transform former library areas into learning commons. To get a comprehensive overview of facility conditions and infrastructure needs, Barba- roux said district officials took a multipronged approach. “The district’s architectural firm conducted facility assessments and interviewed campus leaders,” she said. “Each campus leader and each department leader assessed campus or department equipment, furniture, facilities conditions and systems conditions. The district’s
State of facilities
The three propositions on the ballot will include the statement, “This is a property tax increase,” per state law. That law was passed to hold school districts to the state’s strict financial responsibility standards. “Your taxes won’t go up due to the GCISD tax rate, because it’s not changing,” Schnautz said. “Your taxes will go up because your home value will appreciate.” Should the entire bond, or any of the propositions not pass on May 4, Schnautz said the district could come back in November after gathering information on why an item was not supported to try again. He compared the facility and infrastructure updates and improvements in this bond to managing home improvement costs. “My home was built in 1992, and I had to replace my roof [a few] years ago because it was time,” Schnautz said. “If I didn’t, then we’d have some serious problems.”
As part of its Dec. 11 report, the bond advisory committee found:
89% 34
average age of GCISD schools
of schools are more than 20 years old
GCISD schools over 45 years old 5
SOURCE: GRAPEVINE-COLLEYVILLE ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
demographer assessed enrollment trends by campus.” District officials also looked to the long-range planning committee and the bond advisory committee—both of which include community stakeholders and staff members—for their input, Barbaroux said. “The bond advisory committee reviewed recommendations and determined what items to include in the bond package,” Barbaroux said.
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GRAPEVINE - COLLEYVILLE - SOUTHLAKE EDITION
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