By Devin Padavil
As early voting begins on April 22, I write to you out of transparency regarding GISD’s 2024 School Bond.
As the public school district for the fastest-growing community in the nation, we anticipate enrolling 6,000 more students in the next decade. This bond package, if passed, creates the capacity for 4,400 more students through a new high school, a new middle school, a new elementary school and the renovation of the current Benold Middle School to be the new Frost Elementary School in Proposition A. This proposition addresses renovations for aging facility needs and improves the safety and security of our school entrances.
Proposition B includes technology projects to protect against cyber-security threats and replaces aging devices for students and staff.
Enrollment in the district’s fine arts and athletics programs grew by 38 percent in the last three years. Proposition C would provide for the renovations and expansion of fine arts facilities and Proposition D addresses renovations and expansion for athletics. You can find more details about what every school receives through a successful May 4 election at www.georgetownisdbond.org.
The maximum tax impact on property owners would be 1-cent per every $100 a property is worth, or $2.77 a month for the average home in Georgetown. The tax rate would still be 15.69 cents lower than in 2022 if all propositions were to pass. It is worth noting that if a citizen has a 65 and older Homestead Exemption, their school district property taxes will never increase.
We worked with our architect, construction team and project manager to mitigate soaring construction costs seen in Central Texas. Since August, we have reduced the total costs of projects by $89.7 million through redesign and material selection. We continue that effort to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and bring the total cost under the amount approved by voters. The decision to renovate the current Benold Middle School into the new Frost Elementary School instead of replacing the oldest elementary school with a brand new school is an additional total savings of $24 million.
Your voice is your vote, and the actions of our voters will have a lasting impact on the learning experiences we provide families in Georgetown. Our demographer projects that by 2026 we will have six overcrowded schools. East View High School is already over capacity and on target to become a 6A high school in two years. Our technology team reports that 60 percent of our technology devices used for learning are in disrepair due to age, wear and tear. Enrollment in fine arts and athletics programs continue to grow and our largest school, East View High School, has undersized theater and athletic spaces for their current student body.
As your new superintendent, it is evident the strength of the school district is the involvement of the community. As we grow forward into the future, I am thankful for your engagement. Thank you for considering these facts as you head to the polls this spring.
Early Voting takes place April 22 to April 30. Election day is Saturday, May 4.
Devin Padavil is the superintendent of Georgetown ISD.