School vendors that profited from taxpayer debt for a North Texas school district in 2014 have resurfaced for this year’s $315 million bond election.
As previously reported by Texas Scorecard, a number of school vendors joined a construction company in financing “Vote For Keller ISD,” a political action committee promoting a $315 million bond for the Keller school district. These hundreds of millions would be added onto the $1 billion debt (principal plus interest) Keller ISD taxpayers already owe. If the new bond is approved, the total debt would grow to $40,000 per student (based off of 2017-2018 enrollment numbers).
And this year, VLK Architects, which supported Keller ISD’s previous bond, helped purchase classrooms supplies for employees of the school district. This gives the appearance that VLK is promoting this year’s bond to the district’s employees.
Now, Texas Scorecard has learned that both VLK and BTC—the construction company that donated to “Vote For Keller ISD”—profited off of contracts from the 2014 Keller ISD bond.
VLK Architects, which donated $5,000 to the “Vote Yes For Keller Schools” PAC for the 2014 bond, cashed in over $2 million from work on the Vista Ridge Middle School campus. They also made over $1.8 million from work on Keller High School and Bear Creek Intermediate—a total of $3.8 million made from taxpayer debt.
Construction company BTC raked in over $28 million from work on Keller High School and Bear Creek Intermediate.
So far, it appears both of these companies made over $31 million dollars altogether from the 2014 bond—at the expense of the taxpayers. Both have reappeared for this year’s bond, apparently hoping to rake in even more cash taxpayers will have to pay back.
Keller ISD taxpayers concerned about this have the opportunity let their voices be heard now.
Early voting is underway through November 1. Election Day is Tuesday, November 5.
