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BIG TICKET ITEM The Ninth Grade Center expansion in Proposition A will cost $180 million. The funding would facilitate: • Addition of more classrooms and learning spaces • Adjusted attendance boundaries for 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students
more immediate help for cam- puses already nearing capac- ity, and they estimate that several Hutto ISD campuses could meet capacity within the next two school years. “This is a very consequen- tial decision,” said Henry Gideon, HISD assistant superintendent of opera- tions. “We are a bit behind [on addressing capacity], and it’s up to the voting public to decide if we can get where we need to be.” What is included The bond is split into three propositions that voters will consider separately. Propo- sition A—the largest of the three at $471.5 million—will fund most of the major cam- pus projects. The most expensive proj- ects include the construc- tion of two new elementary schools in the southern part of the district and convert- ing the district’s Ninth Grade Center to a comprehensive high school. Together, those projects account for $313 mil- lion of Proposition A. The proposition also contains expansions and upgrades to several existing schools as well as land acqui- sition for future projects and deferred maintenance proj- ects. Upgrades include the replacement of heating, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical systems. The district projects by the 2024-25 school year, ve HISD campuses will be
A $522 million bond proposal from Hutto ISD is split into three propositions, the largest of which includes the construction of several new campuses. PROP. BREAKDOWN
PROPOSITION A: $471.5 MILLION
$180M for Ninth Grade Center build-out to comprehensive high school $133M for construction of elementary school Nos. 8 and 9 $68M for Hutto High School renovations and additions $32M for land acquisition $24M for deferred maintenance projects $14M for existing Middle School classroom additions $10.5M for technology infrastructure upgrades $10M for buses and satellite operations
SOURCE: HUTTO ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
overcapacity, necessitating the use of portables to allevi- ate more crowded classrooms. For that reason, HISD o - cials and other proponents of the bond package maintain creating more space for stu- dents is a crucial priority. Ashley Rendon, an HISD parent who served on the dis- trict’s Long-Term Facilities Advisory Committee, said the new schools will help tackle the district’s approach- ing capacity issue. “We just don’t have enough room for the students we have right now in the district,” Rendon said. “To get back on track, we’ll need new schools.” Proposition B comprises $10.5 million for new instruc- tional technology devices, such as classroom computers and audio-video equipment. At $40 million, Proposition C would fund the renovation of the administrative build- ing that will remain at 200 College St. into a districtwide
academic center with space for the disciplinary alterna- tive education program, River Horse Academy, and the spe- cial education 18+ program. Trustee Shannon Jacobs said having dedicated spaces for those programs would improve conditions for HISD students who are struggling. “Some of our most at-risk kids are in portables,” Jacobs said. “To me, [the academic center] could really bene t and help those kids to not feel like second class.” District administrators and the advisory commit- tee also proposed several more bond items that did not make it into the nal pro- posal, including $45 million for teacher housing and $70 million for a districtwide per- forming arts center. Ultimately, trustees voted in January to approve only the items in propositions A, B and C for the May 6 election, expressing they
PROPOSITION B: $10.5 MILLION
$10.5M for purchase and refresh of instructional technology
PROPOSITION C: $40 MILLION $40M for renovation of the facility at 200 College St. into a districtwide academic center
SOURCE: HUTTO ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
grown substantially in recent years and data projections show the trend will continue: it is expected to nearly dou- ble from 9,688 to 18,240 by the 2032-33 school year. The bond aims to help accommodate growth by
funding the construction of two new elementary schools as well as upgrades and expansions to campuses across the district. District o cials said the improvements would bring long-term relief as well as
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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