SAN ANTONIO – Voters in three San Antonio-area school districts headed to the ballot box to vote on a variety of proposals to address growth and security.
East Central, Judson and Seguin ISDs all had bond packages on the line in the Nov. 8 election.
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While voters in East Central and Judson overwhelmingly approved their propositions, voters in Seguin narrowly pushed just one of two propositions to victory. Seguin voters also overwhelmingly rejected a new athletic complex.
Here are the bonds that were on the line in the Nov. 8 election.
East Central ISD
Voters in East Central ISD approved a $240 million bond package that will pay for the second phase of upgrading and creating schools from a bond passed in 2016.
Proposition A won with 62% of the vote.
“We are so thankful and appreciative of our East Central ISD community,” Superintendent Roland Toscano said in a news release on Wednesday morning. “The additions of two new elementary schools and a new middle school, as well as numerous renovations, are going to help us effectively address several issues that we’ve been experiencing because we’re growing so quickly.”
The new elementary schools will be on the north and south sides of the district.
The newly approved bond also includes increasing security and energy efficiency at schools, providing new or renovating support facilities and campus offerings and creating a CTE Multi-Purpose Facility & Shop.
Heritage and Legacy middle schools and Oak Crest and Highland Forest elementary schools will also receive upgrades.
The estimated tax impact will be $0.06 per $100,000 of property value.
The district said more than 17,000 people voted in the special election.
With the district expected to reach more than 13,000 students by the end of 2025, it is considered one of the fastest growing in the state, according to the news release.
“It’s left up to the community to find a way to build new schools or expand existing schools when enrollment increases,” Toscano said in the release. “We’ve worked hard through the years to manage funds conservatively, and with no tax increase for the next two years, now was the right time for our voters to act.”
Learn more about the bond here.
Judson ISD
Voters in the district approved both propositions on the ballot, which include upgrades to safety measures and two new campuses.
Proposition A won with 60% of the vote, and Proposition B won with 58% of the vote. Both proposals received at least 20,000 votes each.
Amid discussions to boost safety following the Uvalde school massacre, Judson ISD board members approved calling a bond election in the amount of $345.3 million bond. The bond includes a tax rate increase of $0.01, or about $15 a year for a home that’s valued at about $150,000.
Proposition A, which will affect all campuses, includes upgrading and equipping fencing and gates around campuses and upgrading security cameras, alarms and access. It also includes upgrading other tech infrastructure for security needs and installing air conditioning at gyms, so doors can be secured.
“It’s very hard to secure a gym when you have to keep all the doors open for ventilation,” Superintendent Jeanette Ball previously told KSAT. “But if we were to have our gyms air-conditioned, we can lock those doors and better secure our students in our campuses instead of having all the doors open.”
Proposition B called for a new elementary school, a new middle school and the addition of bus transportation to meet the growing district.
The district grew by 1,200 students this year.
For more on the 2022 bond, click here.
Seguin ISD
Voters in Seguin ISD voted in a new trustee for District 7 and denied one proposition.
Josh Bright beat incumbent Glenda Moreno with 38% of the vote.
Voters also approved the $131 million Proposition A with 52% of the vote and rejected Proposition B with 59% of the vote.
Both propositions in the $138 million bond called for construction, renovations and upgrades to facilities amid projected growth.
In Proposition A, voters approved the purchase of necessary sites for school facilities, like building a new McQueeney Elementary School and adding to Barnes Middle School.
It also includes the purchase of new school buses and adding security measures.
Proposition B called for a new baseball and softball complex at $7.5 million.
For more information on the bond, click here.