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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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What is a school bond?
A school bond is similar to a home mortgage. It is a contract to repay borrowed money with a low-cost interest rate over time. Bonds are sold by a school district to competing lenders to raise funds to pay for the costs of construction, renovations and equipment. Most school districts in Texas utilize bonds to finance renovations and new facilities. |
How is the District’s tax rate configured?
A school district’s tax rate is comprised of two tax rates: the Maintenance & Operations tax (M&O) and the Interest & Sinking tax (I&S). The M&O rate is used to operate the school district, including salaries, utilities, furniture, supplies, food, gas, etc. The I&S rate is used to pay off school construction bonds. Bond sales only affect the I&S rate. |
Why is the district proposing to replace La Vega Intermediate School?
The current intermediate school facility was originally constructed in 1965 and currently has 11 portables (11 classrooms) on site. To renovate this facility up to current building codes and Texas Education Agency standards, it would need a sizeable addition plus extensive renovations, estimated to cost approximately 10.5 million dollars. In addition, this would extend the life of the facility by another 15 years. A new facility, estimated to cost about 19.3 million dollars, will have a lifecycle of 50+ years and all portable classrooms will be removed. |
What are the proposed projects at La Vega High School?
The district is proposing to add four new science labs to LVHS to comply with TEA size regulations, renovate four existing science labs into general classrooms to alleviate overcrowding, expand the Cafeteria/Kitchen to accommodate the entire student body, and enlarge the Library to meet student and TEA size requirements. |
Some of the projects at the high school are proposed to alleviate overcrowding? What is the enrollment of the high school over the last five years?
La Vega High School was originally constructed in 1984 for a maximum student capacity of 550. Since 2004, the high school enrollment has grown from 639 students (over capacity at this time) to nearly 800 students. The chart below depicts the changes in the high school enrollment over the last five years.
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What are TEA standards?
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires that certain instructional spaces be a minimum size depending on utilization of the space, size of the student body, etc. La Vega High School was originally constructed for a maximum student capacity of 550. Currently, enrollment is nearly 800 students. Based on the enrollment numbers, the TEA requirement for the library size is 3,900 square feet; currently, the library at LVHS is 2,952 square feet (over 1,000 square feet under the requirement). The TEA requirement for science labs is 1,000 square feet for a maximum capacity of 24 students per lab; currently, the science labs at LVHS are 888 square feet. Therefore, the District is proposing to construct four new science labs that meet TEA standards.
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When will the tax rate increase go into effect?
If the bond election is approved by voters, the proposed tax rate increase would go into effect in the 2010-2011 school year. |
Why did the district add field turf and replace the track at the stadium? I thought taxpayers voted against this in the last bond election (November 2008)?
In November 2008, voters defeated the 3-proposition bond election, one of which included adding artificial turf and replacing the track at the football stadium. Following the unsuccessful election, the District needed to take steps to replace the natural grass practice and game fields. Therefore, the District took bids on the replacement of sod and the re-crowning of these fields. In addition, the track, which is normally replaced every five years, was scheduled for replacement in 2010. The cost to complete these projects, plus maintenance required over a 10-year period (irrigation, fertilizer, etc.) was estimated to cost $990,000.
In light of this, the District explored the cost of an artificial surface that could be utilized by more District and non-District programs/activities*, that would not require the regular maintenance that the natural grass fields need, and that would be more durable and less susceptible to drought. The cost for this type of surface and a new track was $1,100,000.00.
The Board of Trustees, on the recommendation of the Administration, agreed to purchase the artificial turf and track and borrow the money from one of the local lending institutions at a low interest rate. The loan will mature in eight years instead of 10, thus saving money in less interest paid.
This was done without increasing the tax rate of the citizens. The repayment will be made from the General Operating Fund, which has and will continue to be set at $1.04 unless there is action by the Legislature or the voters of La Vega ISD vote to increase it.
*Because of the field and track improvements, the District is able to host 33 1A and 2A high school bands in October and will be hosting a track meet in the Spring, bringing revenue to the Bellmead Community. |
Why doesn’t the district build a new high school due to student enrollment growth? It seems too small.
To address the growth in the high school enrollment, the district is proposing to expand the library, cafeteria and kitchen and to construct four new science labs and renovate four existing science labs into general classrooms. The total cost for these projects is $5,067,078. In comparison, the cost of a new high school facility for 800 students at 140,000 square feet would cost approximately $25.9 million, plus professional service fees at 10 percent ($2.59 million). A new high school facility for 1,000 students at 175,000 square feet would cost approximately $32.4 million, plus professional service fees at 10 percent ($3.24 million). A new high school would take approximately eight months to design and bid. Construction would take an additional 18-20 months. The proposed additions would begin construction in the Summer of 2010, to be completed by Fall 2011.
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In the last bond election, did we need a practice gym for basketball?
The facilities addition that was added to the high school included four additional classrooms and a physical education gym. The need to add an additional physical education gymnasium was due to several reasons, including the state’s requirement that students taking courses under the recommended and advanced high school programs must successfully complete one and one-half credit of physical education and an increase in the number of students participating in both girls and boys athletic programs. |
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