As Lubbock Independent School District faces shrinking student enrollment, trustees are asking voters to approve $290 million in new bond debt—and they’re claiming “no tax increase is required” to repay the debt.
With interest, the bond would cost local property taxpayers $566 million, according to the district’s own estimates—almost double the dollar amount voters will see on the May 3 ballot.
The ballot measure, Proposition A, includes:
$151 million to replace three elementary schools and add to two existing schools.
$75 million for campus infrastructure improvements.
$47 million for school additions and renovations.
$17 million for school safety and security updates.
Lubbock ISD taxpayers currently owe $413 million in outstanding bond debt principal and interest.
As with all bonds, Lubbock ISD’s proposition authorizes the district to collect property taxes “sufficient, without limit as to rate or amount, to pay the principal and interest on the bonds.”
State law also requires school districts to advise voters of the tax impact of bonds by stating on the ballot: “THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE.”
According to the district’s website, the bond amount was calculated to keep the current debt repayment tax rate of $0.175 per $100 of taxable assessed valuation—“meaning no tax increase is required.”
However, at the same tax rate, residents’ property tax bills will increase as their home values increase.
Lubbock ISD officials state in their Voter Information Document that they are relying on property values increasing by 0.5-1.5 percent annually to generate the additional tax revenue needed to repay the bond debt.
In any case, the bond would increase the local property tax burden by $566 million regardless of tax rates or growth.
Yet Lubbock ISD is “a shrinking district,” notes taxpayer advocate Jim Baxa, an elected member of the Lubbock Central Appraisal District board.
“They continue to lose students every year, so they certainly don’t need to build new buildings!” Baxa told Texas Scorecard.
A political action committee—bankrolled by contractors who could profit from the taxpayer-funded bond—disagrees.
The pro-bond Moving Ahead PAC raised almost $80,000 as of April 3, according to its campaign finance reports.
The Lubbock Chamber of Commerce and Rip Griffin Truck Service Center each donated $10,000.
Other top donors include Teinert Construction ($10,000), JSA Architects ($5,208), ABF Commercial Roofing and Foam ($5,000), BGR Architects ($5,000), Lee Lewis Construction ($5,000), Sodexo Inc. ($5,000), and Western Bank ($5,000).
The pro-bond PAC also received a total of $4,170 from 13 employees of architecture and engineering company Parkhill Smith & Cooper.
While school districts are prohibited from electioneering, they often spend significant amounts of taxpayer resources promoting their bonds.
District officials also routinely encourage teachers and staff to vote in bond elections, as they usually represent one of the largest local voting blocs. Sometimes officials cross the line into what employees perceive as intimidation and electioneering.
Lubbock ISD is one of the largest employers in the district, with around 3,400 employees.
Four Lubbock ISD schools will serve as early voting locations; 13 school district buildings will serve as Election Day vote centers.
Election Day is Saturday, May 3. Early voting begins Tuesday, April 22, and ends Tuesday, April 29.
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