The Midland Independent School District (ISD) Bond Planning Committee changed its prior school bond recommendation to one bond proposal for five projects totaling $1.415 billion instead of the prior idea of distributing the five projects between two ballot propositions.
The committee meeting, held at Legacy High School, considered “one bond simplifying the process for voters and was the right move, especially as the district appears to be on the verge of setting a tax rate that will help the district pay off the bond debt from previous years,” MRT reported.
“That would include two comprehensive high schools, middle school improvements, safety, security and accessibility, improvements to aging facilities and a new elementary school," Josh Ham, a member of the bond committee who made the final presentation to the board, said.
Committee members also expressed their appreciation for efforts made to lower costs from the total of $1.678 billion in the original presentation.
The proposition is now on the ballot, the news report said.
The cost burden on taxpayers will be softened by so-called "tax compression," a reduction in property tax rates, with the state picking up some costs, under legislation promised by Gov. Greg Abbott, a NewsWest 9 report said.
“The overall rate stays at $0.91 or thereabout, so the net effect on the Midlander is that you pay the same tax rate or close to what you’re paying now and you get the benefit of a bond passage of $1.4 billion-plus, new schools, new facilities," Ham said.
The bond also covers new safety measures.
“Controlled access points, the school – particularly like Midland High, I know because my kids go there, lots of access points – the bond will address that, not just in Midland High but everywhere, so that there are alarms, cameras, and controlled access will be much better and much safer," Ham said.