A local school district is seeking voter approval on a proposed $98 million school bond.
Castleberry ISD, situated roughly 40 miles west of Dallas, is asking the community to approve the bond in the upcoming May election. If passed, the taxpayer money will be used to construct several new buildings and renovate existing facilities, according to the district’s website.
New construction would include STEM science classrooms and labs, new administration offices, a storm shelter gymnasium, gated parking, exterior plaza spaces, student collaboration areas, and a connector between the basement and the existing gymnasium at a campus.
The new construction would enhance safety by eliminating portables and providing state-of-the-art career and technical education classes.
Renovations would include enlarging existing classrooms, opening the library to support flexible learning spaces with additional dining spaces, creating a functional education learning area with ADA access, tearing down the existing open exterior connector by replacing it with a new enclosed connector, and remodeling the existing fine arts and theatre areas.
The bond would raise the current tax rate by $0.0482. An average home in Castleberry ISD is valued at $233,370, meaning the impact would result in paying $5.36 extra monthly.
If passed, the bond would not affect residents who apply for a homestead exemption who are 65 years of age and older or disabled.
The bond was created through a facilities assessment by the district to determine its needs. The facility and planning committee then recommended the bond to the CISD School Board.
Early voting began on April 22 and will end on April 30. Election day will take place on May 4.
Castleberry ISD had a student achievement rating of B, per the latest TEA accountability ratings for the 2021-2022 school year.
Their best component was college, career, and military readiness, with a score of 68 out of 100, followed by their four-year graduation rate of 92.8%.
In comparison, Dallas ISD scored 59 out of 100 in college career and military readiness, and its four-year graduation rate was 81.1%.