(Texas Scorecard) – Mesquite Independent School District officials are asking voters to approve a $600 million bond package to expand, renovate, and replace facilities and equipment.
With interest, the bonds would cost local property taxpayers $1.1 billion, according to the district’s estimates—89 percent more than the dollar amount voters will see on the May 3 ballot.
Yet the district’s bond marketing claims the billion-dollar debt will have minimal impact on Mesquite ISD taxpayers, who are already on the hook for $979 million in outstanding bond debt principal and interest.
Voters will decide on two bond propositions:
—Prop A: $578.5 million ($1.09 billion with interest) would be spent on a new pre-K center, consolidating two elementary schools, campus maintenance and improvements, security enhancements, storm shelters, buses, and upgrades to the transportation center.
—Prop B: $21.5 million ($40.6 million with interest) would be spent on district-wide technology replacements.
According to the district’s bond website, if the ballot measures are approved, the school tax rate would only increase by $0.01 per $100 of taxable assessed valuation, raising the average homeowner’s property tax bill by about $17.00 a year.
In addition to the bond propositions on the ballot, voters will select two Mesquite ISD school board trustees.
Incumbent Teia Collier is the lone candidate for Place 1.
Carrie Bruce and incumbent Eddie Rose are the candidates for Place 2.
Mesquite ISD is one of the largest employers in the area with around 5,700 employees, making teachers and staff an influential voting bloc in the generally low-turnout school district elections.
Just 42 percent of the district’s 38,000 students meet or exceed grade levels across all subjects, according to the latest academic performance data published by the Texas Education Agency for the 2023-24 school year. Only 41 percent of Mesquite ISD 4th graders read at or above grade level.
Election Day is Saturday, May 3. Early voting begins Tuesday, April 22, and ends Tuesday, April 29.
With interest, the bonds would cost local property taxpayers $1.1 billion, according to the district’s estimates—89 percent more than the dollar amount voters will see on the May 3 ballot.
Yet the district’s bond marketing claims the billion-dollar debt will have minimal impact on Mesquite ISD taxpayers, who are already on the hook for $979 million in outstanding bond debt principal and interest.
Voters will decide on two bond propositions:
—Prop A: $578.5 million ($1.09 billion with interest) would be spent on a new pre-K center, consolidating two elementary schools, campus maintenance and improvements, security enhancements, storm shelters, buses, and upgrades to the transportation center.
—Prop B: $21.5 million ($40.6 million with interest) would be spent on district-wide technology replacements.
According to the district’s bond website, if the ballot measures are approved, the school tax rate would only increase by $0.01 per $100 of taxable assessed valuation, raising the average homeowner’s property tax bill by about $17.00 a year.
In addition to the bond propositions on the ballot, voters will select two Mesquite ISD school board trustees.
Incumbent Teia Collier is the lone candidate for Place 1.
Carrie Bruce and incumbent Eddie Rose are the candidates for Place 2.
Mesquite ISD is one of the largest employers in the area with around 5,700 employees, making teachers and staff an influential voting bloc in the generally low-turnout school district elections.
Just 42 percent of the district’s 38,000 students meet or exceed grade levels across all subjects, according to the latest academic performance data published by the Texas Education Agency for the 2023-24 school year. Only 41 percent of Mesquite ISD 4th graders read at or above grade level.
Election Day is Saturday, May 3. Early voting begins Tuesday, April 22, and ends Tuesday, April 29.