After recent financially challenging months for El Paso Independent School District, the first new bond package in a decade was postponed by its board of trustees to be on the ballot on May 27.
Initially scheduled to appear on the ballot on Nov. 3, the measure was defeated due to soft community support, with an estimated 60% opposing the bond package. Among the keys prominently discussed by the public and trustees was rebuilding public trust following financial exigency.
The $445.8 million bond is slated to fund a bevy of repairs in a number of schools across the district that are over 50 years old, including replacing aging evaporative cooling systems, repairing roofs, upgrading facilities, and addressing outdated electrical infrastructure.
“The bond committee looked at everything and took a deeper dive into all the data,” said Board of Trustees President Leah Hanany. “The committee was able to truly speak about the facilities and that’s important because this entire conversation is about what our kids truly deserve.”
This was also the first official meeting of the complete board after a special session on Thursday, Aug. 6, which appointed Dr. Matthew Reza as District 6 Trustee and Brian Kelley as District 7 Trustee.
The last bond package approved by voters for the district was in November 2016 for $668.7 million.
The Bond Citizen Steering Committee, consisting of parents and community members, compiled and voted on a comprehensive list of district-wide needs and developed a long-range facilities plan that identified about $1 billion in repairs and infrastructure needs.
The roughly 80-member committee met more than 50 times to identify and prioritize district needs.
According to the committee, placing it on the ballot on Nov. 3 would cost the district between $200,000 and $300,000 and shorten the runway for the district to make its case to the public.
“This process was community driven and fully public. Asking taxpayers to trust you with their vote,” said Georgina Williams, a member of the committee.
What bond option is EPISD considering?
The proposed bond did not raise taxes and totals $445.8 million, with a considerable amount allocated to upgrades and repairs, as well as safety, transportation, sustainability, playgrounds, and more for teachers and staff.
“That is our commitment to this district and the people who put this bond package together. We want to be more transparent than we’ve ever been before and we need to earn back the public trust,” said Assistant Superintendent David Bates.
The total would be broken into Proposition A totaling $396,044,136, Proposition B for $10,645,000 for instruction and technology, Proposition C for $25,580,000 for athletic renovation, and Proposition D for $13,535,000 for refinancing costs.
Kristian Jaime is the Top Story Reporter for the El Paso Times and is reachable at Kjaime@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: EPISD postpones $445.8M bond election to May over weak support
Reporting by Kristian Jaime, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kristian Jaime, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
