2023 LOCAL VOTER GUIDE
State law requires all school bond referendum ballots to be printed with, “This is a property tax increase.” According to the district: IMPACT ON TAX RATES The Leander ISD tax rate will not change as a result of whether voters approve or reject the bond propositions. • The bond package in May will not raise tax rates for LISD residents. • Continued growth of the tax base will allow the existing debt service tax rate of $0.33 per $100 property valuation to pay for the proposed projects. • Rising property values could result in higher tax bills for residents.
BOND HISTORY
value of taxable properties within the district continues to increase, allowing LISD to fund projects with the existing debt service tax rate of $0.33 per $100 property valuation. Despite this, rising property values could result in higher tax bills for residents. “That tax rate is adequate to pay our current debt payments, to continue to defease debt, to pay o¡ debt early whenever we can,” Gearing said. “And also it has enough capacity in those $0.33 to accommodate certainly this bond that’s on the ballot for this May.” Community concerns Texas Parents United, a political action committee made up of parents and community members, opposes the largest of the propositions—the $698.33 million Proposition A. The group points to a conversation Nov. 15, when Gearing recommended during a school board meeting that trustees look at repurposing the Citizens Facility Advisory Committee and providing an opportunity for the committee to engage in extensive community listening projects. “The board did not do that; they did not follow that recommendation,” Texas Parents United President Laura Davis said. Texas Parents United is advocating for the board of trustees to conduct a community listening project to “improve the long-range plan” and cre- ate “small, targeted, well-vetted bond proposals” for a November election. On the other side, some are worried that if a bond is not passed now, it could cost the district more in the future. Celeste Fahnert, who served on the bond steering committee and is part of the All In LISD political action committee in support of the bond, said she believes a bond failure would harm
This is the second bond election Leander ISD has called in less than two years as the district— considered a fast-growth district— attempts to prepare for the increased growth in its student population in the coming years.
2021 BOND PACKAGE
SOURCE: LEANDER ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
Proposition A $727 million Carried into the 2023 bond: Failed • Construction of elementary schools No. 31 and No. 32 • Second broadband network node • Storage and server replacement • New science material center
Developing a plan Prior to calling an election, LISD’s Citizens Facility Advisory Committee— made up of six subcommittees and a steering committee of local residents— formed to create a bond package. Each subcommittee brought recommenda- tions to the steering committee, which delivered proposals to the board. In January, the steering committee recommended the board call a bond package ranging from $563 million-$601 million. The admin- istration then brought additional pro- posals aligned with LISD’s long-range plan—an evolving 10-year itinerary to ensure facilities accommodate changes to the district’s population. “I know some people have said the process was rushed,” Fahnert said. “While it may feel like it was from the outside, we spent a lot of time and thought, even outside of our meetings, processing that information alone.” Mike Herrera, a steering committee member, said the group was able to meet with the district’s chief ¨nancial ocer and ask LISD sta¡ questions. However, not all of the steering committee members understood “how much steering we could do” regarding the cost of certain projects. Gearing said if the bond fails, the district would likely have to look at changing attendance zones, making it
the district, pointing to HVAC systems “on the verge of failure.” “If one of those systems fails in the middle of the school year, that means the school is closing while they repair it,” she said. “That could take a month, two months. There’s so many things that would negatively impact our community.” Fiscal concerns are another factor, one that weighed into Place 7 board member Paul Gauthier’s decision to vote against the proposal—the only trustee to do so. Per state law, the maximum maturity of a bond—the date by which LISD has to repay the money it receives—is 40 years. The higher bond rating a district has, the lower the potential interest rates. LISD has the second-highest rating: AA. However, interest rates are subject to market conditions and could change. “It just depends on what you are willing and able to pay back those rates,” Gauthier said. “[Bonds are] just the most expensive way to take out a loan, so why are we taking out loans anyway when we have a $400 million- a-year income?” Instead of calling for bonds, Gauthier said it would be more ¨scally respon- sible to save funds the district brings in through state funding and other revenues to pay for the projects.
Proposition B $33 million
Passed
Proposition C $11.6 million Carried into the 2023 bond: Failed • Renovating/modernizing Don Tew Performing Arts Center and South Performing Arts Center
SOURCE: LEANDER ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
“dicult to maintain the neighborhood school concepts.” Furthermore, he said LISD would have to put o¡ renovations to 30-year- old facilities, install portable buildings and pay for potential repairs out of the district’s general fund in addition to bringing another bond proposal to the voters in November. “There are consequences, certainly, for if this bond doesn’t pass,” Gearing said.
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
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