Messages from the Superintendent

Why are there three propositions on the ballot? 

Beginning with the May 2020 election cycle, Education Code §45.003(g) requires that certain “special purpose” categories of improvements be included in separate, standalone propositions: 

• Stadiums with seating capacity for 1,000 or more; 

• Natatoriums; 

• Recreational facility “other than a gym, playground, or play area;” 

• Performing arts facility; and 

• Technology other than that used for school security purposes or technology infrastructure integral to the construction of a facility. 

What are the three propositions being considered by voters? 

Proposition A 

Safety and Security/Renovations/Repairs/Rebuilds/Buses 

• Rebuild Mullendore Elementary 

• Build New Partner School (Smith/Francisco) 

• Renovations at Denton Hwy. property 

• Haltom High Cafeteria expansion 

• Repairs/Upgrades 

• Buses 

• Press Boxes at all three high school football, baseball and softball fields 

• Artificial Turf at all three high school baseball and softball fields 

Total: $284,714,315 

• replaces obsolete equipment; 

• provides for student/classroom technology upgrades; 

• maintains replacement cycles for: 

• • current 1:1 student-to-technology ratio across the District; and 

  • provides teacher/staff technology upgrades. 

The plan allows for flexibility in selecting devices as technology continues to change. Technology bonds are paid off in five years. 

Proposition B
Technology 

• Maintain replacement cycles for student/staff devices
  Total: $16,061,775 

• A full football field, including end zones. This will allow the marching bands an indoor location to practice. 

• Large fans and garage doors to help control heat during the summer months and heaters to help during the winter. 

• Retractable netting from the roof to divide the space for multiple activities at the same time. 

• Opportunities for band, drill teams, color guard, football, baseball, softball, soccer, and other non-fine arts/athletics uses. 

One of the most complicated subjects we deal with is school finance. Without getting into golden and copper pennies, allotments, Tier I and Tier II funding, WADA, and other in-depth details of school finance, here is what we can easily say about the proposed bond package.  

Birdville ISD’s tax rate will not change because of the 2022 bond election.  

Did you know … ? 

Since 2019, BISD’s overall tax rate has decreased 17.4 cents. This has positioned the District to have additional capacity to sell bonds to address facility improvements now and in the future. Also, since 2014, the Board has approved prepayments of $29 million of bond principal saving taxpayers more than $20.2 million in future interest payments. 

About Public School Tax Rates 

Though we only see the overall tax rate on the tax statement each year, that rate represents a portion for operations and a portion for voter-approved bond debt. We will illustrate this with the buckets above. 

The first bucket is the Maintenance & Operations (M&O) budget, which funds daily costs and recurring expenditures such as teacher and staff salaries, supplies, insurance, and utilities. 

The second bucket is the Interest & Sinking (I&S) budget, also known as Debt Service, which is used to repay debt for capital improvements approved by voters through bond elections. Proceeds from a bond can be used for the construction and renovation of facilities, the acquisition of land, and the purchase of capital items such as equipment, technology, and transportation. By law, I&S funds cannot be used to pay M&O expenses which means that I&S funds cannot be used to pay teacher salaries or pay for rising costs for utilities and services. 

The efficient management of BISD’s existing bond debt over the last ten years has allowed the District to refinance more than $142.2 million of its outstanding bonds at a lower interest rate, saving taxpayers $18.4 million in future interest costs. The District has also prepaid approximately $29 million of its bonds prior to scheduled maturity, saving an additional $20.2 million in future interest payments for taxpayers. BISD will continue to carefully monitor its bond debt and related interest rates to save taxpayers additional dollars in the future. 

The District repays its bonds based upon the useful life of the assets for which the District is financing. As an example, BISD repays bonds issued for new school buildings over a 25-year period, but repays bonds issued for technology in five years or less. 

If voters approve all three propositions on Nov. 8, Birdville ISD will have the ability to sell additional voter-approved bonds with NO school tax rate increase due to bond prepayments and the refinancing of current bonds at lower interest rates. 

Next week, we will look at the ballot language. 

EARLY VOTING Begins TODAY! 

Thank you for hanging in there with me as I share details about BISD’s 2022 Bond election each week.

Last week I shared with you about the ballot language and the state-mandated statement required on each proposition. Once again, this is not true for Birdville ISD.  The efficient management of BISD’s existing bond debt over the last ten years has allowed the District to refinance more than $142.2 million of its outstanding bonds at a lower interest rate, saving taxpayers $18.4 million in future interest costs. In addition, the District has also prepaid approximately $29 million of its bonds prior to scheduled maturity, saving an additional $20.2 million in future interest payments for taxpayers. This is how the District is able to present the $359.8 million bond plan to voters with no tax rate increase. 

Remember, the District is presenting the bond proposal as a package and asks voters to cast a vote on each of the three propositions. 

I want to remind you that every vote counts. YOUR vote counts.

Below is Early Voting and Election Day voting Information. Additional details can be found on the Tarrant County Elections website at Tarrant county.com. 

Oct. 24–28:  8 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

Oct. 29: 7 a.m. –7 p.m. 

Oct. 30: 10 a.m. -– 4 p.m. 

Oct. 31 – Nov. 4: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. 

Locations within the BISD Community
Haltom City Senior Center
3201 Friendly Lane
Haltom City, 76117 

Northeast Courthouse
645 Grapevine Hwy.
Hurst, 76054 

Tarrant County Northeast Campus
Galley NSTU 1506
828 W. Harwood Road
Hurst, 76054  

Former Bursey Road Senior Adult Center
7301 Bursey Road
N. Richland Hills, 76182  

Saint Paul Presbyterian Church
4517 Rufe Snow Drive
N. Richland Hills, 76180 

Election Day
Tuesday, Nov. 8 from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. 

(Tarrant County allows early and election day voting at any location within the county.) 

Next week, we recap the 2022 Bond proposal.