WISD seeking $595-million bond

WAXAHACHIE – A $595-million bond package is expected to be voted on this week by the Waxahachie ISD school board to be placed on the May ballot..

The package started out at $576-million, but increased after recommendation from the Long Range Planning Committee for a second 3,200-student comprehensive high school and two new elementary schools.

If passed, taxpayers will pay an extra roughly $7 per month in school taxes according to one source if the latest proposal as presented passed in the upcoming election.

Also included in the bond package is a new Wilemon STEAM Academy.

Students who attend Global High School would transfer to the Wilemon campus after it is completed.

The Finley and Howard junior high schools would be expanded to each hold 1,200 students.

The school district were still weighing the A and B options before voting to call the bond election.

Those options include:

OPTION A

Prop A: Educational facilities, $247 million.

Prop B: Second comprehensive high school, $322 million.

Prop C: Lumpkins Stadium upgrades, $6.6 million.

OPTION B

Prop A: Educational facilities (minus Elementary 11 and facility upgrades), $147 million.

Prop B: Second comprehensive high school, $322 million.

Prop C: Elementary 11, $41.8 million.

Prop D: Facility upgrades, $58 million.

Prop E: Lumpkins Stadium upgrades, $6.6 million.

Currently, the District has $232,338,708 in outstanding tax-supported debt principal, which is approximately $22,890.51 per enrolled student according to the Waxahachie ISD Business & Finance Office.

This amount represents outstanding debt from the 2002 bond issue through the most recent refund bonds issued to save interest costs for taxpayers.

The total outstanding debt per student is approximately $38,803.50.