Hays CISD To Call $238 Million Bond Election For May 2021

Staff Reports

The Hays CISD board of Trustees voted unanimously Monday to hold a $238,458,691 bond election for May 1, 2021

The bond will be built off the framework of the bond canceled in 2020 by Hays CISD but will see an additional $21.1 million over what was proposed for the ballot last year.

The 2020 Bond Election was initially rescheduled from May 2020 for the November General Election but was ultimately canceled because of the uncertainties caused by the pandemic.

“The bottom-line numbers haven’t changed,” Tim Savoy, Communications Officer of Hays CISD, said. “We are looking at them differently.”

For the 2020 Bond Plan, the district projected residents would not see a tax rate increase.

According to the district’s website, no tax rate increase is anticipated with the 2021 bond either, which will include six propositions for voters to vote on individually.  

Proposition A, which will account for over half of the bond funding, proposes to help accommodate the district’s growth at $147,959,876. The proposition saw a $10.5 million increase over the 2020 Bond proposal.

Trustee Merideth Keller said the reason for the increase is because the proposition includes additional items that are smaller in scope.

Proposition A proposed the expansion of four middle schools as well as the construction of a new middle school estimated at $38.48 million in Buda’s Sunfield Development. The new middle school will have a projected 900-student capacity.

The proposition will also go toward the design of the district’s 16th elementary school at approximately $2.5 million; the school will be built as part of a future bond.

Savoy said having the school designed now will reduce the timeline for the school’s construction when it is needed, and it will give the bond oversight committee, community and trustees time to delve deeper into the numbers.

Proposition B will aim toward renovating and rehabilitating district assets for a total of $40,535,831.

Line items under prop B include Campus HVACS and Fire Alarms, Campus Roofing and Flooring Projects, Hardscape improvements, Keyless Entry Upgrades, Intercom Upgrades and Miscellaneous items such as bleachers, wash stations and more.

Proposition C allocates $12,784,128 for stadium expansions to increase capacity and replace scoreboards and other items.

Proposition D proposes $4,268,873 for Stadium Improvements including parking at Shelton Stadium and Hays and Lehman High School Baseball and Softball Fields.

Proposition E projects $29,820,597 for a new building at the current Central Office Location and renovations for the existing structure and former transportation headquarters.

And Proposition F proposes $1,378,000 to improve technology infrastructure and provide additional mobile devices for teaching, virtual learning and on-line state assessments.

The draft of the bond proposal is currently available on the Hays Consolidated Independent School District’s Website for voters to review.

Trustees will finalize the proposal in the coming weeks before they officially call the bond election for May 1, 2021.