BY ELISABETH JIMENEZ
What people are saying
Keep in mind
The interest and sinking tax rate for this election is expected to remain the same at $0.35 per $100 of property value. The I&S tax rate is only used to pay off debts from voter-approved bonds. This is a separate tax rate from the maintenance and operations tax rate, which funds day-to- day expenses within the district, such as staff salaries, utility costs and classroom supplies. The DSISD I&S tax rate has remained the same since 2016, according to district officials. Although the I&S tax rate is expected to remain the same, one’s appraised market property value can impact their property tax bill. As required by Texas law, the statement “This is a property tax increase” must be included on DSISD voter ballots, regard- less of the bond’s impact on the tax rate, because the district is taking on more debt if the bond were to pass.
Lauren Caiella, co-chair of district advocacy group Friends of DSISD, said the bond could help improve student outcomes in the district through more offerings for trades, such as technology or culinary arts. Some residents are concerned about the district’s University Interscholastic League 6A ranking potentially dropping to 5A because of enrollment changes. For DSHS senior and student athlete Jack- son Mills, he said a new school means more teams, giving more students the chance to participate in sports. Getting to class is also difficult because of over- crowding in the hallways, Mills said. Students can run late because of the bottleneck created when going from one class to another, he said. Matt Walker, Friends of DSISD co-chair and former substitute teacher, said the additional space offered by a new high school also benefits teachers and staff. Walker said that large class sizes and overcrowd- ing can be difficult working conditions for teachers, leading to more turnover. Additionally, even with the extra classrooms portables offer, space in
“If we can get the class sizes lower than what they are now, I think that’ll put a lot more freedom in the teacher’s hands, as far as being
able to operate their classroom goes, and we’ll see more learning throughout the district.”
JACKSON MILLS, DSHS STUDENT
facilities at a school are still limited, he said. Having upgraded infrastructure and addressing overcrowding at schools through the bond funding impacts how the board is able to manage the district operating budget, Walker said. “The only way we can build new schools is through a bond,” he said. “Some of these repairs—if there’s not a bond for it—then yes, that comes out of the general fund, which then affects what we have on hand for teacher raises and teacher retention. It’s all interconnected.”
What’s next
The deadline to register to vote is April 3. Early voting begins April 22. For more information about the May bond, visit www.dsisdtx.us.
If the bond is approved by voters, Morris- Kuentz said she wants to “turn the dirt as quick as possible” for construction of the new high school to have the campus ready by 2028, which already has preliminary designs.
If the bond fails, district officials will have to look back at the bond package to determine what changes may need to be made to go up for another bond election, Morris-Kuentz said.
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