Childress ISD voters have a sizable decision waiting for them on the November ballot.
The district is asking residents to consider a $139.3 million bond package divided among three propositions covering secondary school facilities, a new elementary school and a new athletic field house.
There are legitimate arguments for each project. There are also legitimate reasons for taxpayers to carefully consider the price tag and what committing to this level of borrowing could mean over the long term.
Proposition A would combine junior high and high school
Proposition A is the largest piece of the package at $88.5 million. If approved, the money would pay for renovations and an expansion at Childress High School, creating a combined campus for junior high and high school students.
Superintendent Mark Dykes said a community committee recommended the combined-campus approach in part because it could reduce costs by allowing students to share facilities.
“They came up with this because, number one, it saved quite a bit of money having a combined campus,” Dykes said. “Because you share common spaces, right? You share a library; you share a gym, cafeteria, and it also gives you the opportunity to share staff if scheduling works.”
The proposition would also expand Career and Technical Education spaces for programs including agriculture, woodshop, health sciences, floral design, culinary arts and Family and Consumer Sciences.
That could be an important part of the proposal for voters who want the district to provide students with more opportunities to learn practical and career-oriented skills.
There is also the question of the existing junior high building. The district is celebrating the building's 100th year, and Dykes said maintaining such an old facility presents accessibility, safety and maintenance challenges.
Proposition B would address an aging elementary school
Proposition B asks voters to authorize $35.3 million in bonds for a new Childress Elementary School serving about 500 students from pre-K through fifth grade.
Part of the existing elementary campus is about 80 years old. The district says the building has space, accessibility and safety concerns. Its location also limits expansion because public streets surround the property.
If Proposition B passes, the district could eventually build the elementary school on land it already owns north of the high school.
Unlike Proposition A, however, approval would not necessarily mean those bonds would be sold immediately. The district has structured Propositions B and C so the board could wait until property values reach certain levels before issuing the debt.
That distinction is important. Voters are not simply deciding whether they like the idea of a new elementary school. They are deciding whether to give the school board the authority to issue those bonds in the future under the conditions outlined by the district.
Proposition C focuses on athletics
Proposition C would authorize $9.1 million for a new athletic field house.
Dykes said all junior high students and about 75% of high school students participate in athletics. The existing facility does not have a girls' locker room, meaning female athletes have to change at their respective campuses before traveling to practices or competitions.
The district also says the current weight room is too small to accommodate both in-season and offseason programs.
Those concerns deserve consideration, but voters will ultimately have to decide where an athletic facility falls among the district's priorities when weighed against classroom facilities and the overall cost of the bond package.
What would taxpayers pay?
For many residents, the biggest question may be the simplest: What will this cost?
According to Dykes, Proposition A would increase taxes on a home valued at $190,000 by about $20.83 per month based on current valuations.
Propositions B and C are structured differently. Dykes said those bonds would not be sold until property values reach higher levels. The district's position is that, based on those future appraised values, issuing the bonds for B and C would not require an increase in the tax rate.
That does not make the projects free. The debt still has to be repaid. It means the district expects growth in the property tax base to provide the additional capacity needed to issue those bonds without raising the rate.
That is an important distinction voters should understand as they weigh the proposals.
Industry growth has changed the equation
The timing of the bond election is also connected to changes in Childress County's tax base.
Dykes said Childress ISD was notified by the Texas Education Agency in August that rising property values had pushed the district into property-wealthy status, requiring it to send money back through the state's recapture system.
“The main driving force behind what we’re doing behind this bond is because of the major industry that has moved in,” Dykes said. “And we want to take advantage of this while it is here so that those major industries can pay a larger portion of the tax burden, and our citizens will see some relief from those projects.”
That gives voters another factor to consider. The district sees an opportunity to use a stronger commercial and industrial tax base to tackle facility needs that have accumulated over decades.
At the same time, voters should consider the durability of that growth, the amount of debt being authorized and the district's assumptions about future property values.
A decision with long-term consequences
If the propositions fail, the facility problems do not disappear.
The district would have to reconsider its plans and could potentially use money from its maintenance and operations budget for renovations. That is the same side of the budget used for expenses such as teacher salaries and student programs.
If propositions pass, detailed architectural work would follow. Dykes said bonds for the initial project could be sold sometime after Jan. 1, 2027, with construction potentially beginning around the middle of 2027.
Ultimately, this election is not simply a choice between supporting schools and opposing higher taxes.
Childress ISD has aging buildings and facility needs that have to be addressed in some form. At the same time, $139.3 million represents a substantial financial commitment for a relatively small school district.
Voters should look at each proposition individually, examine the projected tax impact and decide whether the district's proposed solution is worth the long-term cost.
