Public schools rely on the support of local taxpayers to fund the operations and facilities of the school district. Similar to homeowners borrowing funds to purchase a home, school districts borrow to finance the design, construction, expansion and renovations to schools and facilities. Voters who live within the boundaries of Spring ISD must approve the funds through a bond election.

The 2022 Spring ISD Bond Proposal is a comprehensive plan developed by members of the Bond Steering Committee. The group is made up of parents, current and former staff members, students, as well as community and religious leaders.

The Bond Steering Committee spent weeks over the summer analyzing current use and condition of facilities, enrollment, technology needs and the current state of the district’s safety and security before finalizing a proposal with Spring ISD administration for approval by the district’s Board of Trustees. The proposal was presented to the Spring ISD Board of Trustees on Aug. 9, 2022, and approved to be placed on the Nov. 8, 2022, general election ballot for Spring ISD voters.

The Spring ISD 2022 Bond has a total of 3 propositions totaling $850 million.

Proposition A ($681 million)

• Improve districtwide safety and security features
• Rebuild Spring High School
• Refresh/design Westfield High School
• Refresh/design Jenkins Elementary School
• Refresh/design Reynolds Elementary School
• Conduct various districtwide high-priority maintenance projects
• Purchase 25 regular education and 35 special education buses, 12 light and four heavy duty fleet vehicles, in addition to 19 police units

Proposition B ($141 million)

• Build an education and performance center
  • Spring ISD would utilize this building as a reunification center in the event of emergencies. The center will also be used for districtwide and community educational events, graduation ceremonies, performance and visual arts programs, and indoor athletic events and competitions.

Proposition C ($28 million)

• Replace or upgrade outdated districtwide technology
• Improve instructional technology in schools, classrooms, and school theaters

No. Voters in Spring ISD may cast a ballot on ALL propositions. You do not have to choose between the propositions listed.

With safety as the district’s top priority, a new multipurpose facility would benefit the district as a protected emergency reunification site for our students. Additionally, a districtwide education and performance center is needed to provide the district with an indoor facility to participate in various activities and events, including academic competitions, indoor sporting events, graduations, staff convocations, and more. The venue can also be used to host a variety of non-district events, which will help increase the district’s presence and profile in the area.

Of all the facilities that need attention, Spring High School requires urgent action. The school was built in 1968 and has already surpassed its useful life cycle. The addition of its ninth-grade center helped alleviate crowding in the current high school, creating a safer, more flexible environment for students. The main high school building, however, needs to be rebuilt and replaced due to outdated conditions.

New school buses are included in the bond proposal because there are very limited funds available in the general operating budget to pay for significant capital needs like bus purchases, which means the purchase may be significantly delayed.

Transportation maintains a vehicle replacement scoring matrix that takes the vehicle age, usage, type of service, reliability, condition, and repair costs into account when determining the need to replace buses or other fleet vehicles. Spring ISD buses travel 2.7 million miles annually. The wear and tear such heavy traffic generates on interior surfaces and our buses’ engines make the upgrades imperative as we continue to provide our students with safe and reliable transportation.

One of the goals is to match financing to the life of the asset being purchased with the length of liability incurred to pay for them. As such, for technology items, the district’s Finance department uses a seven-year guide for the financing of technology equipment.

If bond dollars are approved by voters and available for district use, capital expenses such as HVAC systems, building maintenance and new buses can be paid out of those bond funds. However, when bond funding is not available, all expenses must be paid out of the general fund or from other sources. When this happens, fewer dollars are available for all other expenditures – and that includes such items as teacher raises, new teacher positions, benefits, and student programs.

Yes. Every campus will benefit from some aspect of the 2022 Bond. With improvements to our district’s safety and security, facilities, technology and transportation, all students will see positive impacts on their schools and learning environment.

The potential $850 million bond is estimated to require a property tax increase of 5 cents per $100 of valuation, which is expected to be offset by an anticipated decrease in the 2022 tax rate. Because of this, the resulting tax rate will be the same or lower than the current tax rate of $1.31 per $100 of valuation. Additionally, voters in May approved an increase in the homestead exemption – from $25,000 to $40,000 – which will provide additional property tax relief. Seniors 65 and older who have filed for their over 65 homestead exemption will see no tax increase as a result of this bond.

Early voting begins Oct. 24 through Nov. 4. Election Day is Nov. 8. For more information on voting and voting locations, visit harrisvotes.com.