ROUND ROCK, Texas — The school year may have just started for children at Round Rock ISD, but the district's Board of Trustees has already been hard at work to make improvements for students and staff alike.
On Thursday night, the board voted to approve a nearly $1 billion bond to be put on November’s ballot, focused on bringing upgrades to the district’s aging facilities.
For the first time in six years, voters will consider the hefty price on improvements like replacing old computers, HVAC systems or even roofs.
Here’s a breakdown of each proposition:
- Proposition A includes $801.4 million for maintenance and repair of schools, such as replacing air conditioning systems, roofing, electrical and plumbing systems that have reached the end of their lives. Other updates include fresh paint, new ceiling tiles and flooring to improve the condition of aging facilities
- Prop A also would allow the district to purchase new buses and a facility dedicated to expanding Career and Technical Education programs for all students
- Proposition B looks to add $125.3 million to upgrade instructional technology and infrastructure which would support modern learning and increase the speed, connectivity, reliability and security of the district network
- Proposition C could add $8.6 million to allow for improvements to fine arts programs, such as upgrading outdated stage lighting and sound systems
- Proposition D would provide $62.8 million for improvements to existing athletic facilities, including upgrades to locker rooms, lighting and scoreboards, plus the addition of artificial turf to competition fields. This proposition also includes the construction of a stand-alone multipurpose athletic facility to be used by students and staff throughout the district
At the Aug. 8 board meeting, students, parents and community members gathered to explain the impact these improvements would have.
This includes those like Lindsey Ledyard, the co-chair of the Citizens Bond Committee and a Round Rock resident.
Ledyard said along with district staff, trustees and co-chair Fabian Cuero, they worked countless hours to narrow the original $1 billion to $1.5 billion proposal to just under $1 billion in projects needed to address the school’s maintenance needs and improvements.
“Our students and staff deserve to attend and work in school facilities that are well kept,” she said. “Our students deserve to have facilities that will allow them to explore new opportunities no matter where they reside in the district. To me, an investment in our community schools will always be good for our local economy and worthwhile.”
Ledyard said she hopes the community approaches the bond with an open mind and considers how each campus will be affected by the projects.
"Nothing that is in this bond was presented or proposed to the board without intentionality, without deep conversation and consideration," Ledyard said. "There isn't one campus and facility that isn't going to have some work done on it."
The Board of Trustees voted 5-2 to put the bond on this November's ballot Thursday night.
On Friday, faculty at Stony Point High School pointed out how this bond will also help pay for a new permanent facility to house the NJROTC program. Since 1999, the program has operated out of these portable buildings on campus.
“It hasn't prevented us from achieving our goals, but it would be nice to have a new facility for the students, and the community would be proud of their number one RTC unit," said Ishmael Castillo, retired Marine Corps and the current Naval Science Instructor at Stony Point High School.
Castillo said when he arrived on campus in 2020, the program was ranked last in the state. Four years later, they have made it all the way up to No. 1 in Texas. He said having new facilities to hold all their equipment and programs would help also with retention.
“I can tell you if I had better facilities, larger facilities, bigger classrooms, a larger air rifle range – it attracts more kids, and those skills, they can use them in their future," Castillo said.
The district said this bond will not increase the tax rate for taxpayers. Instead, they will actually be lowering the Interest and Sinking tax rate by one penny to 0.1880.
"Our district has been really taking care of debts and really been good stewards of our taxpayers' money," Superintendent Dr. Hafedh Azaiez said.
They will be relying on growth from the district, but it's not clear the exact amount of growth they're expecting.