A VOTE FOR THE TCISD BOND IS A POSITIVE STEP FOR TCISD

BY: Mark E. Ciavaglia
Last fall, over seventy members of the Texas City ISD community began meeting to assess the existing facilities within our school district, seeking answers to questions about our facilities. Do the current facilities meet the existing needs of our students and teachers? Are our schools as safe and secure as our students
and teachers deserve? Are our campuses sufficient to meet the needs of future
students and ever-evolving curriculum requirements? Over the following months, the committee of citizens listened to education professionals, received reports from engineers, architects and maintenance professionals and heard input from financial experts. The result of this endeavor was a proposal made to the Board of Trustees of Texas City ISD that would represent a bold step to address many of the challenges faced by our school district. In a unanimous vote, the Board of Trustees accepted this ambitious proposal from the wide cross-section of the Texas City ISD community and called for a bond election that will appear on the May 5 ballot. The proposal before the voters will allow the construction of four new campuses in our district – a new La Marque Primary School, a new LaMarque Elementary School, a new La Marque Middle School and a new Manuel Guajardo, Jr. Elementary School (the campus formerly known as Northside Elementary). While these schools have served our district well, each of the campuses to be replaced are over sixty years old. Also part of this ballot proposal are components for enhancing safety and security for all campuses across the district, as well as investments in lighting, parking and roof enhancements which will make our existing facilities safer, more secure and will extend their functional and useful life. The bond proposal also includes a forward-thinking initiative
that will provide a computer for every student in Texas City ISD in grades seven through twelve. If you would like more detailed information about the bond election, go to: www.friendsoftcisd.org and click on ‘The Community’s Proposal’ under the ‘More’ tab. Of course it goes without saying that these investments
cost money, in this case $136.1 million. Voters must understand that the committee of community members diligently looked at every alternative that would address our district’s needs, with one eye always trained on the cost. We
should be clear – no one ever relishes an increase in property taxes and this
measure is no exception. However, the community members found no fiscally
reasonable alternatives to the proposal that would actually solve our district’s
current challenges. With respect to the costs, once all of these projects are under
way and the bonds are sold, an owner of a residence homestead with an appraised
value of $100,000 will see a tax increase of approximately $80 per year.
And it is critical to note – the bond election will not cause a school tax increase
for residents with an over 65 homestead or disability exemption. This is a protective measure provided by the Legislature through Texas Property Tax Code.
The committee of community members was unanimous and clear in the belief
that this bond proposal is a major investment in our children’s future. I, along
with many other friends and neighbors in Texas City ISD, urge you to vote for
the bond proposal on the May 5 ballot. We must fix our gaze on the future of
great things to come in Texas City ISD, as one school district and one community.
Early voting begins on April 23 and Election Day is May 5 and the bond
proposal will appear on the same ballot as the city elections for La Marque and
Texas City. Please make time to vote FOR this critical step in the future of our
children and our community.