Conroe ISD considering $660M bond for November

A new Conroe ISD bond referendum package may be put to voters this fall to replace the failed $807 million bond package from earlier this year. Superintendent Curtis Null introduced the draft bond proposal at Monday’s board workshop. Here, Null speaks after being named as the sole finalist for Superintendent during the Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, March 20, 2018, at the CISD Administration Building. less A new Conroe ISD bond referendum package may be put to voters this fall to replace the failed $807 million bond package from earlier this year. Superintendent Curtis Null introduced the draft bond proposal at ... more Photo: Michael Minasi, Staff Photographer / Houston Chronicle Photo: Michael Minasi, Staff Photographer / Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Conroe ISD considering $660M bond for November 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

A new Conroe ISD bond referendum package may be put to voters this fall to replace the failed $807 million bond package from earlier this year. While the district’s trustees have not taken any official action, at Monday’s board workshop they debated a new $660 million proposition A and $23.8 million proposition B.

Superintendent Curtis Null introduced the draft bond proposal at the workshop by first explaining that the district met with multiple groups and individual citizens to obtain feedback from the previous bond election.

“They shared personal opinions and things that they heard friends and neighbors talk about…We had wonderful feedback,” Null said.

Null said the district heard concerns about the amount of the bond, the complex information included and controversy over certain projects such as AstroTurf field conversions, the Jett Center work and maintenance items included in the package.

When community members were asked how the district could have done a better job with the bond, Null said they received feedback about keeping the package simple, removing fluff from the package and communicating the ramifications if the bond was not successful.

The direct response to those conversations was to re-evaluate every aspect of the previous bond proposal, resulting in a draft proposal of $660 million that would be a five-year bond package with no tax rate increase for taxpayers.

And, due to House Bill 3, the new tax rate for 2019-20 would effectively decrease to $1.235 per $100 valuation from the 2018-19 tax rate of $1.28 per $100 valuation.

“The ability to bring this package to voters with no tax rate increase was appealing…We are addressing a lot of the needs. You’re seeing a decrease here, but every department has signed off on the fact that the immediate needs are being met,” Null said.

That proposition A proposal removes several elements from the district’s original proposal: the Teacher Training Center, agricultural complex, Jett Center work and the Conroe High School 9th-grade campus work.

It also removes the Custodial and Maintenance Facility and the Hauke Building Conversion from the package to be paid for using capital maintenance fund money instead, and it reduces the amount spent on technology while adding another new elementary school campus to accommodate for growth over the life of the bond.

By category, this new draft proposal includes almost $304.5 million for new campuses and additions, about $242.5 million for campus renovations, $44 million for safety and security, $40 million for district support services needs and about $29 million for land and contingency.

Null also put forth the idea of separating the AstroTurf projects into a proposition B of $23.8 million to let voters decide on separately. The trustees discussed this idea for several minutes—some initially not wanting to let the project stand alone, but others seeing the value.

Trustee Ray Sanders said that if the item is controversial both ways, separating it out from the whole package lets voters decide on the issue.

“If those opinions are strong, it could mix oil and water and taint the whole bond. I don’t want to have that as a possibility. I’m in favor of separating it,” Sanders said.

Trustee and Board President Datren Williams said he was struggling with one aspect of the proposal: removing the Conroe High School 9th-grade Campus addition project. He seemed concerned that the district was only focused on ensuring there was no tax rate increase instead of looking out for the students.

Null assured Williams that the needs for students are being met with a proposal that would also be acceptable to taxpayers.

“We would not bring forth a plan that did not put us in a position to be in great shape moving forward…we didn’t check the tax rate implication until we worked this plan,” Null said.

While Null presented some short-term solutions for addressing the issue of capacity at the Conroe High 9th-grade campus, the trustees seemed like they were leaning toward putting the project back into the bond proposal and instead swapping out some of the technology work to be paid for by the capital maintenance fund.

Null said that so far, the reception to this overall draft package has been positive because the district has reduced the overall amount of the bond and taken out many maintenance items.

“We’ve extended the life of the bond and to do those things with no tax rate increase…all of that things have been very well received by the community members that I’ve spoken with,” Null said. “The secondary feedback is people have communicated that we’ve listened to their concerns and addressed them.”

The district meets again Aug. 6 to continue the discussion, as well as hold a public hearing for the proposed 2019-20 budget. The deadline to call a bond election for this November is Aug. 19.

Contingency plan

If the district goes forward with this rough proposal for the November ballot and it fails, they’re going to need a contingency plan.

“There will be impacts far and wide. It’s a reality that we have to plan for every scenario,” Null said.

Deputy Superintendent Chris Hines presented an outline of what would need to be addressed, while clarifying that this is not the plan that the district recommends for the future.

That outline included possible re-zoning at campuses across the district and the re-allocation of about $25 million to cover capital maintenance projects and accommodate for growth. That included a minimal salary increase for employees, a hiring freeze and a one-cent tax rate increase to cover the district’s necessary expenses. The entire presentation can be found on the district's website.

jane.stueckemann@chron.com