By David Taylor
Managing Editor
It’s the largest bond in the history of the school district at $1,812,156,143, but administrators and board members say it will help accomplish the educational goals of the district.
The recommendation for the three bond proposals A, B, and C comes from a Long-Range Planning Committee that began meeting in the spring of 2023.
Committee members received a report from PBK Architects, who provided an Educational Suitability Assessment that covered the district’s 84 schools. The ESA found that 25 percent of the district’s schools were over 50 years old.
PROPOSITION A: ($1,622,325,676)
The committee studied the issue and recommended under Proposition A that six schools receive complete rebuilds: Aldine High School, Carver High School, Aldine Middle, Hambrick Middle, Orange Grove Elementary, and Odom Elementary. The average age of those six schools alone is 67.5 years.
In addition to the complete rebuilds, two high schools, MacArthur (57 years old) and Eisenhower (51 years old) would receive major structural work and redesign updates to fit the classroom of today.
Other expenditures under Prop A include campus facility improvements and high-priority maintenance projects that include digital marquees, life-cycle replacements of roofs, plumbing, and HVAC, science lab improvements, and athletic improvements.
Safety and security projects would include a dedicated district police department, updated security technology systems, safety film, site fencing, and lighting and emergency generators including a districtwide Emergency Notification system.
Technology infrastructure projects would include wireless network system updates (enhanced WiFi).
Transportation projects would include an East Transportation facility rebuild, purchases of new buses and special education buses, and a white fleet which includes trucks, vans, golf carts, and heavy machinery.
PROPOSITION B: ($67,547,500)
Proposition B focuses on instructional technology projects that would include student and staff device refreshes (iPads, laptops, and Chromebooks) and classroom technology (interactive display panels). The purchases would bring the district up to date with technology.
PROPOSITION C: ($122,282,967)
Proposition C will call for the construction of an Education and Performing Arts Center. The new Education and Performing Arts Center would include a multi-purpose facility, multiple theaters, art gallery space, various learning spaces, professional performance audio and lighting, and rehearsal rooms. The facility would more than double the size of many current school auditoriums expanding student opportunities and inviting collaborative performances between fine arts disciplines, campuses, and grade levels. The district would also have the potential of hosting outside groups and UIL contests.
The district said every campus in Aldine would be affected by the bond in some way.
If Bond 2023’s propositions pass, Aldine ISD taxpayers will not see a tax rate increase for the next three years. The first increase would be in 2026; Aldine’s CFO Stan Osborne says this would amount to $40/year additional on a house valued at $200,000. With the state’s compression of $100,000 homestead and the bond passing, many taxpayers would see a decrease in their overall district tax rate.
Senior citizens ages 65 and older will have $0 tax impact over their frozen dollar amount of taxes unless they have improvements to their home. Then the new tax rate would be frozen based on the new assessment .
Early voting began on Monday, Oct. 23 and continues through Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.