Voters in Kaufman ISD, located just 45 minutes southeast of Dallas, will consider a $171 million bond to improve safety and security and create more space to address aging facilities.
The district is expected to reach over 5,000 students in five years. Kaufman County is the second-fastest growing county in the United States.
Enrollment has increased by almost 10% over the last three years, according to the district.
Kaufman ISD hopes to replace Norman Junior High by constructing a new campus to resolve capacity issues. Norman Junior High currently uses portable buildings to deal with its overcrowding issues.
The new campus will also require the relocation of the current Agricultural Barn for Career & Technical Education Classes, which will include new classes and amenities such as animal grooming and feeding stations.
The Helen Edwards Early Childhood Center will get security and safety upgrades if the proposed bond is approved, as well as additional classrooms to the current building.
Phillips Elementary School would also get safety and security upgrades, and the existing gym would be replaced. The campus would also undergo further interior renovations and upgrades.
Passage of the bond would effectively result in a $0.17 tax increase. The current tax rate, $1.0848 per $100 valuation, is the lowest the district has seen since 1992. Citizens 65 and older would not be affected by this increase if they receive the over 65 exemption.
The district has seven campuses with a student enrollment of 4,093 as of the latest accountability report from the Texas Education Agency in 2022.
Some 49% of students scored at grade level on their STAAR exams that school year and 98.1% of graduating seniors earned a diploma on time. For comparison, only 41% of Dallas ISD students scored at grade level, and nearly 20% of graduating seniors did not graduate on time.
Kaufman ISD voters can cast their ballots for the proposed bond during early voting from April 22 to April 30 and on election day on May 4.
The district proposed an $89.9 million bond in 2022 with two propositions, both of which failed, as reported by The Kafuman Herald.
Proposition A aimed to construct a new elementary school and add classrooms throughout the district. In contrast, Proposition B looked to create a practice field for athletics and add physical education classes and extracurricular activities.
