"It's not going to be a hard sell," said Carbajal, a member of the Friends of Waco Schools political action committee.
But others warn that districts like Waco ISD with a declining enrollment may face a challenge selling taxpayers on a bond package.
With nearly $173 million in bonds, district officials plan to build a new University High School, an elementary school in East Waco and new Bell's Hill and Dean Highland elementary schools. If passed in the May 10 election, the bonds also would fund renovations and new science labs at Waco High School and A.J. Moore Academy, and pay for renovations at every other school in the district.
Waco ISD is by no means alone seeking funds through bonds this school year. According to TexasISD.com, a Web site that keeps tabs on Texas public school bond elections, at least $7 billion in bond packages across the state passed in November 2007. More school districts are going out for bond elections in May, including Midway Independent School District, which hopes to pass a $76 million bond package to build an elementary school and an intermediate school and expand Panther Stadium, among other things.
Growth drives many school districts, including Midway, to bond issues. Leander Independent School District passed a $559 million bond package in November to accommodate its growing enrollment. Dick Ellis, Leander ISD communication director, said the district's demographer expects the 29,000 student enrollment to double by 2017.
"People are moving to this area in a large part because of this school district," Ellis said.
Joe Smith, a retired superintendent and the man behind TexasISD.com, said Texas taxpayers often support public school bonds if school districts can justify their need.
"When they don't (support bond issues) there's usually some kind of local trust situation there," Smith said.
He said districts that aren't growing also may have a tougher time selling their bond proposals to the community, because their needs aren't as obvious.
Waco ISD school board member Pat Atkins acknowledged the same challenge when the board approved the bond proposal. For school districts such as Midway, with new houses and neighborhoods going up, the need for new schools is obvious, he said. Waco ISD, however, has a declining enrollment, with 15,243 students last fall and a projection of 15,199 next fall -- and possibly fewer students projected in later years. A district like Waco, which is seeking relief for old and ailing facilities, will have to work even harder to explain its need for a bond package, he said.
Wichita Falls ISD knows the challenges a nongrowing district faces. The North Texas school district is comparable to Waco ISD, with roughly 15,000 students, a slightly declining enrollment and aging schools. The district tried three times before a bond issue passed -- at half the amount originally proposed.
In 2002, Wichita Falls ISD sought a $121 million bond package to consolidate 21 elementary schools into 18, build five replacement schools, renovate two other campuses, and make additions and renovations at the secondary schools, athletics facilities and the support services building. The issue failed with roughly 70 percent voting against it.
Renee Murphy, public information specialist with the district, said the process of building the 2002 bond package may have been its downfall. She said the proposal was drawn up by architects and district officials over several months, with no public input.
"They didn't feel they were part of the process. They didn't feel they were involved -- so they voted that way," she said.
The district regrouped and in 2004 went for a $78 million bond, which would have built four new elementary schools, renovated 14 and paid for 11 elementary gyms. This time, a community advisory board was involved, offering input such as which schools to close and what size bond would be realistic for the economy. The issue failed, but by a much smaller margin: 51 percent against and 49 percent for.
Though the 2004 issue failed, Murphy said the community advisory board was the way to go. The board also worked on the third bond issue for 2006.
"They went out and talked to their parents, their neighbors, their civic organizations they belonged to," she said. "I think it was extremely beneficial and necessary."
In 2006, Wichita Falls taxpayers passed a $60 million bond by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. The bond package will fund two new elementary schools (consolidating and closing four old schools), gyms at all elementary schools, and additions and renovations at elementary, middle and high schools including new high school science labs.
Before the 2006 election, the school district closed one of the elementary schools, which Murphy said made a statement to the community.
"It affirmed the need in the mind of the community because we did move forward with the closure. I think it also developed a trust between the public and the district," Murphy said.
Murphy said the time taken between bond election attempts allowed the district to fully address some issues, including the closing of old schools. She said closing schools is a difficult and emotional issue because a neighborhood's identity may be entwined with the school. She said it's hard to ask a neighborhood to put that relationship with its school behind it.
"The community needed to feel ready to do that. For Wichita Falls, it took several years," Murphy said.
On the local front, school district supporters feel good about the upcoming bond elections.
Ken Cooper, with Midway ISD's political action committee, said he expects a good taxpayer response to the bond package because the bond steering committee was fairly conservative in building the package and because the $76 million is expected to raise taxes by 3 cents.
"I think that makes it easier to sell than some others around the state," Cooper said.
Carbajal is optimistic that the group can sway voters to support the WISD bond package. Friends of Waco Schools is being aided in the process by the PBK architectural firm, which composed the bond package for the district. The committee plans to put out yard signs and make presentations to the public about the bond.
Carbajal said bond proponents must educate voters on the facts behind the bond. For instance, Waco facilities are an average of 51 years old. He also said voters should know the cost of operating the number of campuses that WISD is trying to maintain.
"Once people understand this is a much-needed product, I think they'll support that," he said.
Carbajal said he believes Waco taxpayers would find the additional property tax reasonable. He said that according to the most recent numbers he's received, the owner of a $100,000 home with a $15,000 homestead exemption would pay an additional $13.96 per month.
"We feel that's a very good return on our dollars for that little amount of money," he said.
According to figures the district released when it approved the bond issue March 6, the bonds would raise taxes a maximum of 21 cents per $100 valuation over a three-year period. Under those figures, the owner of the same home would pay an additional $14.875 per month after three years.
To see more of the Waco Tribune-Herald, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.wacotrib.com. Copyright (c) 2008, Waco Tribune-Herald, Texas Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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