Karnes City Independent School District is asking voters to approve a $128 million bond package, which would cost $257 million when accounting for interest, in the November 3 election.
The district’s Board of Trustees voted August 10 to call the election following a recommendation from the Karnes City ISD Bond Planning Committee, which spent months reviewing district facilities and identifying future needs.
According to the district’s official election notice, Karnes City ISD currently has approximately $13.29 million in outstanding bond principal and $2.19 million in remaining interest obligations, totaling roughly $15.48 million in existing debt obligations.
The bond package is divided into two propositions, allowing voters to consider the proposed facility improvements and teacher housing separately.
Proposition A would authorize $123 million ($247.9 million with interest) for the construction of a new junior high campus and gym, districtwide safety and security upgrades, new school buses, and improvements to existing facilities.
Additional projects include roofing and HVAC upgrades, cafeteria expansion, administrative building renovations, and construction of an auxiliary building for health sciences and physical education programs.
Proposition B would authorize $5 million ($9.8 million with interest) to construct teacher housing on property already owned by the district.
According to Karnes City ISD, the housing project is intended to address a shortage of available housing for educators and support efforts to recruit and retain qualified teachers.
Rather than using bond proceeds to increase teacher salaries, the district is proposing to invest in residential facilities as a means of attracting and retaining employees.
The district has not specified on its bond information website how many housing units would be constructed or whether teachers would pay rent to occupy them.
If both propositions pass, the district would be authorized to issue $128 million in new bond principal, with additional interest costs incurred as the debt is repaid.
Karnes City ISD estimates that approval of the bond package would increase the district’s total property tax rate by 6.8 cents per $100 of taxable value.
The district projects that a home valued at $150,000 would see an approximately $8.64 annual increase in school property taxes after applicable exemptions.
Homeowners age 65 and older with qualifying homestead exemptions would generally be protected from an increase in school district property taxes on their existing homestead.
The proposal was developed by a committee of more than 30 community members, parents, district employees, and local leaders who met five times between February and May to evaluate district needs.
While there is a pro-bond political action committee called “Yes for Karnes City Kids,” there are no campaign finance reports available on the Texas Ethics Commission website to show who is funding the PAC.
Early voting runs October 19 through October 30, with Election Day scheduled for November 3.
