Citing “fast growth,” Waller Independent School District trustees are asking voters to approve $700 million in new bond debt to build four new schools.
With interest, the school bonds on the November ballot would cost local property taxpayers more than a billion dollars.
That’s according to the district’s voter information document.
Two separate bond propositions are on the ballot:
Proposition A: $702.5 million ($1.32 billion with interest) would be spent on building two new elementary schools, a junior high, and a high school projected to cost $378 million, buying land for future schools and new buses.
Proposition B: $11 million ($13.5 million with interest) would pay for new technology devices.
With interest, the two bonds would cost local property taxpayers $1.33 billion—87 percent more than voters will see on the ballot.
The district currently owes $1.1 billion in bond debt principal and interest.
All bond debt is repaid with local property taxes, and once bonds are passed the district can raise the debt repayment tax rate at any time without further voter approval.
State law requires school districts to warn voters of the tax impact of bonds by including the language on the ballot, “THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE.”
On Sunday night, the district emailed the “Waller ISD Family” and urged everyone to vote.
The email stated that the tax increase language on the ballot is “a legal requirement for all bond elections,” but there would not be a tax rate increase if the bonds are approved.
Instead, the district is relying on residential and commercial growth and rising property values to generate more tax revenue.
Even if trustees don’t increase the tax rate, higher property values will result in higher tax bills for homeowners and businesses. Regardless of tax rates at any given time, the total tax burden on district property owners is increased by the amount of the bond debt.
While the district’s debt repayment rate has remained at a relatively high 44 cents per $100 of valuation, Waller ISD’s maintenance and operations tax rate has decreased in recent years due to state-mandated reductions meant to provide Texans with property tax relief. The maximum debt rate allowed by law is 50 cents.
Trustees set the total tax rate this year at the highest amount that would not require voters’ approval in an election.
Voters approved $363 million in bond debt in 2022, and the district is planning to ask for another $152 million in November 2027.
Waller ISD claims to be one of the fastest-growing school districts in Texas.
The district has about 9,900 students on ten campuses, but officials project enrollment will triple to more than 27,000 students over the next ten years.
Voters will find the school bond propositions at the bottom of their ballot.
Early voting in the bond election begins October 21. Election Day is Tuesday, November 5.
