FAQs — Karnes City ISD Bond

Bond

A school bond is similar to a mortgage – it is a promise to pay back a certain amount of money that is being borrowed for a specific use, and it will be paid back with interest. There are state and federal laws and regulations on how school districts issue bonds and how the bond proceeds can be used.
A school bond must be approved by a majority of voters who live within the school district’s boundaries.
Bond funds can be used to pay for new buildings, additions and renovations to existing buildings, land acquisition, technology, buses, and equipment, among other items. By law, bond funds may not be used to fund daily operating expenses, such as teacher and staff salaries or utilities, which are paid for out of the district’s Maintenance & Operation (M&O) budget.
School districts are required by law to ask voters for permission to sell bonds to investors in order to pay for capital expenditures for projects like building a new school or making renovations to existing facilities. Districts take out a loan and then pay that loan back over an extended period of time, much like a family takes out a mortgage loan for their house.

Development of the bond proposal was an in-depth process of information gathering, research, and community input by a dedicated committee of community volunteers. The KCISD Bond Planning Committee and KCISD Board of Trustees worked with staff to study facility assessments, financial data, and a community-wide survey before voting to call for a bond election. The total bond proposal is $128 million.
Proposition A includes $123 million for a new junior high school campus and gym, construction of an auxiliary building supporting student programs, districtwide safety and security upgrades, new buses to meet state seat belt requirements, districtwide HVAC and roofing improvements, and renovations to existing district spaces.
Proposition B includes $5 million for teacher housing on district-owned property, intended to help address a teacher housing shortage and support the district’s recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers.
Yes! A new junior high campus is part of Proposition A of the bond proposal.
If approved by voters, the new Junior High School will be constructed adjacent to its current location.
Part of the bond proposal is funding to construct teacher housing. Proposition B on the ballot includes $5 million for teacher housing on property KCISD already owns. This is intended to help address a teacher housing shortage and support the district’s recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers.

If approved by voters, the $128 million in bonds would not be sold at once. The district follows market trends when issuing bonds to incur the least amount of debt we can. If the economy declines, bonds would not be issued to fund those projects.
Planning for the district's current and future needs is an ongoing responsibility of the Board of Trustees and district leadership. Facilities, technology, and instructional programs are continually evaluated to ensure students and staff have safe, effective learning environments.
When major facility or infrastructure projects exceed the capacity of the district's annual maintenance and operations budget, the Board may seek voter approval for a bond.
The maintenance and operations budget primarily funds day-to-day expenses, including staff salaries and benefits. State guidelines also require districts to maintain adequate operating reserves, limiting the amount of money available for large-scale construction, renovations, and infrastructure improvements. Bonds provide a way to fund these long-term capital projects without using the district's operating budget.
For residents 65-years and older, their school district tax bill will not increase, even if their property values increase (excluding property improvements) as long as an approved Homestead and Over-65 Exemption application is on file, and the property has been owned as of Jan. 1 of the tax year.

Tuesday, November 3. The last day to register to vote for the November 3 election is Monday, October 5. Early voting is October 19-30.
Anyone who is a registered voter and lives within the Karnes City ISD district boundaries is eligible to vote in this election.
Voter registration applications are available in most government buildings and are available at all Karnes City ISD campuses. To vote in the November 3 election, your voter registration application must be postmarked by October 5.
Check your voter registration here.
To see if you’re registered, click here.
Voting locations will be posted soon!