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FALLING TAX RATE
where you live in the school district, you have the same quality of facility,” Miller said. However, Amy Hedtke, admin of the Facebook group “It’s OK to Vote NO on BOND$,” said she believes districts statewide should not spend money they do not already have. “All these bonds are full of great ideas, but they come with a pretty hefty price tag,” Hedtke said. “There [are] a lot of neat things that sound great, but when you can’t aord them, Voters will decide two bond propositions May 7. Proposition A— which totals $730 million—includes facility construction and improve- ments, while Proposition B—which totals $45 million—relates to technology expenditures. “The most urgent projects are the additions at Summerwood Elemen- tary [School] and Summer Creek and Humble high schools as well as [the] construction of Middle School No. 11,” said Gary Whittle, project manage- ment director at CBRE, which assists HISD with project sequencing. Proposition A also includes replace- ment campuses for Ross Sterling Mid- dle School and Foster Elementary School; a new campus for the district’s Mosaic Program, which provides spe- cial education services; and new out- door play and tness equipment. Additionally, Proposition A includes second practice gyms at ve middle schools, dance classrooms for each middle school and various building maintenance projects. you can’t aord them.” Proposition breakdown If approved, Whittle said the proj- ects included in the 2022 bond would be completed between 2022-29 with the design phase of Middle School
No. 11, the Mosaic campus, and addi- tions at Humble and Summer Creek high schools beginning this fall. Proposition B would support the replacement and upgrade of devices used by sta and students as well as technology in the classroom, HISD Chief Technology Ocer Chris Cum- mings said. “Currently, the average age of a sta device is six years, and the average age of a student device is four years,” Cummings said in an email. “Humble ISD uses devices until they can no lon- ger be xed or supported.” Additionally, Proposition B includes upgrades to network infrastructure, cybersecurity, security cameras and radio systems. If both propositions are approved by voters, the district does not antic- ipate the need for another bond election until 2029 or later, HISD Chief Communications Ocer Jamie Mount said. However, if either proposition is not approved, Mount said the dis- trict would likely continue to call for future bond elections rather than nancing projects with the district’s general fund. “Approximately 85% of the general fund is allocated to salaries and ben- ets,” Mount said in an email. “Real- locating general funds for capital improvements would reduce funds available for teacher raises, new teacher positions, benets and stu- dent programs.” Addressing growth HISD Deputy Superintendent Roger Brown said he believes the 2022 bond is necessary to accommodate rapid growth within the district, which gained more than 2,700 students this school year—a 170% increase from the
Over the past decade, Humble ISD’s tax rate has decreased while its taxable value has increased due to rising appraisals and new property districtwide.
Maintenance and operations tax rate
Interest and sinking tax rate
A portion of a local school district’s tax rate that raises revenue to be used to operate and maintain the district’s schools
The part of the tax rate used by districts to pay for voter-approved bonded indebtedness, usually construction of facilities
HUMBLE ISD HISTORICAL TAX RATES PER $100 VALUATION
$0
$0.25
$0.50
$0.75
$1
$1.25
$1.50
$0.35 $0.35 $0.35 $0.35 $0.35
$1.17 $1.17 $1.17 $1.17 $1.17
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18*
2018-19
2019-20
$0.35
$1.06835 $1.03405 $0.9889 $0.9689
$0.35
2020-21
$0.35
2021-22
$0.35
2022-23**
*BOND ELECTION YEAR **PROJECTED TAX RATE BASED ON 6% PROPERTY VALUE GROWTH
Since the 2018 bond, Humble ISD’s tax rate has fallen by roughly $0.18 .
Humble ISD’s taxable value—calculated by the Harris County Appraisal District—was roughly $18.8 billion in 2020, up from roughly $11.4 billion in 2015.
SOURCES: HUMBLE ISD, HARRIS COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT, TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
amount of work that went into every single [bond committee] meeting,” Ham said at a Jan. 11 board meeting. The 2022 bond election will mark the district’s rst bond since 2018, when 74% of voters approved $575 million targeting similar district needs. To date, district ocials said every project included in the 2018 bond has been completed, is under
construction or is under contract. According to Deborah Rose Miller, treasurer of the HISD Vote Political Action Committee, many of the proposed projects included in the 2022 bond would bring the district’s older campuses up to date with more modern facilities. “One of the strengths of this bond is to make sure that, regardless of
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