EDUCATION Plano ISD trustees add $1.49B bond election to November ballot
BY DESTINE GIBSON
of the work needed in the district. If approved by voters, the propo- sition will fund major and minor districtwide renovations, including projects for safety and security, infrastructure and transportation, ne arts programs, technology, athletics, the career and technical education program, and more. Proposition C is for $173.45 million for instructional technology; Proposi- tion D could give PISD $130 million for a district event center; and Proposition E totals $19.21 million to be used for stadium renovations and safety improvements as well as new turf. In total, the district is in need of more than $2.24 billion in projects, but that was cut by about a third to land at the nearly $1.5 billion total, the task force co-chairs said during the board’s Aug. 2 meeting. The district is able to issue up to $1.52 billion without increasing the district’s property tax rate, district sta said Aug. 2. The proposed bond was suggested without knowledge of the district’s threshold for a tax increase. District o cials said the task force worked for more than ve months on the bond package recommendation. Nearly 79% of district voters passed a $481 million bond in May 2016. That bond provided funds for districtwide renovations and facility upgrades, the Robbie & Lynore Robinson Fine Arts Center, technology improvements, early childhood education and more. It also did not result in an increase to the district’s property tax rate.
The Plano ISD board of trustees unanimously called for a $1.49 billion bond election during its Aug. 16 meet- ing. The bond package, which includes four propositions ranging from $19.21 million to $1.17 billion, will go before PISD voters during the Nov. 8 election. The board also called a voter-approval tax rate election to appear on the same ballot as a separate proposition. If voters approve all ve proposi- tions, the district’s property tax rate will still be $0.061 lower than last year’s rate, according to a news release from PISD. “It has been more than six years since Plano ISD held a bond election to address major facility, infrastruc- ture and technology needs,” board President David Stolle said in a statement. “Safety and security was also a focus for our task force, and the proposed bond will address safety systems across the district. Our voters will have the opportunity to consider our district’s needs and to consider additional funding that could be made possible by the tax rate election.” If all four bond propositions are approved, PISD would be able to spend more than $1.49 billion for “critical” projects in the district, 2022 Future Forward Task Force represen- tatives said Aug. 2. “We as a district ... need this bond to be competitive and to not fall behind other districts,” Board Member Lauren Tyra said during the Aug. 16 meeting. Bond proposition B will total $1.17 billion to cover the majority
Plano ISD’s Nov. 8 bond package includes funds for the district’s career and technical education program and more. (Courtesy Plano ISD)
BREAKING DOWN THE BOND In addition to the voter-approval tax rate election that will be Proposition A on the ballot, Plano ISD voters will decide on four bond propositions totaling nearly $1.5 billion. Those would address safety and security, renovations, infrastructure, transportation, career and technical education programs, ne arts, athletics and more.
Proposition B: $1.17 billion for school renovations and safety • Safety and security: $54.31M • Major renovations: $423.13M • Minor renovations: $86.49M • Infrastructure maintenance: $194.78M • Technology infrastructure: $61.8M • Transportation: $47.63M • Career and technical education: $134.84M
Proposition C: $173.45M for instructional technology Proposition D:
$130M for an event center
TOTAL $1.49B
Proposition E: $19.21M for safety and maintenance at stadiums
• Fine arts: $14.59M • Athletics: $155.42M
SOURCE: PLANO ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
The voter-approval tax rate election will seek voter approval for the district’s property tax rate of $1.25975 per $100 valuation because that rate exceeds the district’s voter-approval tax rate. If approved, the tax rate election would bring around $9 million in funds for PISD without changing its property tax rate, district o cials
said. PISD plans to hold informational meetings on the bond and voter-ap- proval tax rate election via Zoom on Sept. 27-28 as well as a community meeting Oct. 6 at the Sockwell Center, 6301 Chapel Hill Blvd., Plano. Additional information about the proposed bond and the tax rate election can be found at www.pisd. edu/election2022.
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