Since citywide approval is required to distribute funding across the district, Mansfield ISD will continue early voting for the May 4 bond election until Tuesday.
“One of MISD’s values is that we put students first, so everything associated with this bond was designed with our students in mind,” MISD communications director Lori Barager said. “This bond will have a generational impact on our district.”
MISD is hosting an election May 4 for a $777 million bond that is split into five propositions. Each of the propositions, listed A-E, is designed to improve both academic and athletic aspects of the district.
“We will benefit greatly from this bond, from updating our technology, to finishing projects that were started in previous bonds and updating outdated parts of our building,” facilities associate principal Michelle Dudley said. “We desperately need these changes.”
These changes will be made possible through the bond. Voter-approved bonds are designed to allow a district to borrow funds as authorized by the Board of Trustees. Although bonds are often subsidized by tax increases, the upcoming bond will not require any tax raises.
“If all five bond propositions pass, MISD is able to pay for them without raising the current tax rate,” Barager said. “The Board of Trustees authorized refunding and paying off callable debt sooner than scheduled, which has resulted in additional debt capacity.”
At MHS, the bond will facilitate replacements for technology, plumbing, scoreboards, HVAC units and more. The second and third phases for the multi-purpose athletic complex will be rolled out as well, which includes locker rooms, showers, offices, storage and a 50-yard indoor practice field.
“I don’t really know how necessary athletic funding is besides fixing up existing facilities,” junior Alex Ochoa said. “I think it should be more of an ‘afterthought’ rather than being lumped in with these educational improvements.”
Starting in October 2023, a long-range planning committee was established to plan the bond using the district’s long-term plans, bond capacity and other relevant information. Once they finished their analysis, they presented their recommendation to the Board of Trustees on Jan. 23.
“The committee represented a broad cross-section of the community, including parents, business leaders, teachers, community members, students and civic leaders,” Barager said. “In addition, bond information has been presented in more than 125 meetings so the community could ask questions about the bond.”
If the bond passes, the provisions in each of the propositions will be implemented over the next few years. The official day to vote on the bond is May 4, but early voting will continue until Tuesday.