Frequently Asked Questions

School districts are required by state law to ask voters for permission to sell bonds to investors in order to raise the capital dollars required for projects such as renovation to existing buildings or building a new school. If voters approve the bond referendum, they essentially give the district permission to take out a loan and pay that loan back over an extended period of time, much like a family takes out a mortgage loan for their home. 

Residents who live within the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD boundaries, are 18 years of age on or before election day, are a U.S. citizen, and are registered to vote by the October 10 deadline can participate in the November 7 bond election. To see if you are registered, or to register by the October 10 deadline, visit the voter registration site.

The 2023 bond package was based on recommendations of the EMS ISD Long Range Facility Planning Committee, which is comprised of 55 active parents, non-parents, civic and business leaders, and staff liaisons representing all high school attendance zones. They began working in January 2023 to study the condition of the district’s existing facilities, projected enrollment growth, classroom capacities, and operational systems. To collect feedback from the broader community, the district also conducted three facility-focused surveys from May 2022 to August 2023. Committee members used all this information to establish priorities, develop options, and ultimately provide priorities to the district and a charge to prepare a bond package for the Board’s and community’s consideration. The committee’s final recommendation was presented to the EMS ISD Board of Trustees on August 15, 2023. That same night, the Board unanimously called (7-0) for a November 2023 school bond election that includes four propositions. Information about the Long Range Facility Planning Committee is available on the district’s informational 2023 bond website.

Bond funds can be used to pay for projects including new buildings, additions and renovations to existing facilities, purchase of land, technology devices and/or infrastructure, safety and security equipment, operational systems upgrades, and equipment/furniture for new or existing buildings. Bonds cannot be used for teacher salaries or other regular operating costs such as utility bills, supplies, daily building maintenance, fuel, and insurance.

The November 2023 bond package addresses current and future growth, safety and security, upkeep of aging facilities and systems, and standardization and facility equity. If approved by voters, the total proposed amount of $659.1 million will fund new construction projects, replacement campuses, addition/renovation projects, safety and security improvements, technology upgrades, priority maintenance projects, athletic improvements, land purchases and a natatorium. The bond package is presented to voters in four propositions, and voters will have the opportunity to cast a vote for or against each individual proposition. View a breakdown of all four bond propositions and a full list of included projects.

If voters approve all four propositions, EMS ISD homeowners can expect an increase of $.0010, or one-tenth of a penny, in the local tax rate on a primary homestead beginning in tax year 2024. This equates to less than $3 on the average annual 2023 primary homestead residence.

Also on the November ballot will be a statewide constitutional amendment that, if approved, will increase the primary homestead exemption from $40,000 to $100,000. This is designed to provide property tax relief to taxpayers across the state, which will equate to an estimated average savings of $746 on the current value of the average home in EMS ISD with a homestead exemption. If the amendment passes, the projected tax impact on the average EMS ISD homesteaded residence from the proposed 2023 bond package would still be less than $3 a year.

The maximum term for bonds allowed by law is 40 years. Most EMS bonds are 30-35 years. For projects with a shorter life expectancy (i.e., technology, equipment, etc.), bond terms are matched with the life of the asset. This ensures taxpayers do not end up paying for items that the school district is no longer able to use.

School districts in Texas operate under a budget consisting of two tax-supported portions. One is the maintenance and operations fund and the other is the debt service fund (I&S). Tax rates to support both funds are limited by State Law. The maintenance and operations fund supports not only daily maintenance and operations of buildings but also teacher salaries, benefits, and student programs. The I&S (debt fund) supports larger capital improvements and equipment expenditures where it is not feasible to pay for an improvement within a given fiscal budget year. The debt is spread out over an extended period, much like a homeowner’s mortgage.

While the district cannot predict a pandemic or other global event, consideration for typical interest rate fluctuations and supply issues was included in the development of this bond proposal. All projects include contingency funds to cover reasonable, unforeseen impacts.

If the bond proposal does not pass, the district has limited options on managing growth. Bond elections are the primary means that districts have under state law to fund capital improvements such as new buildings, renovations, etc., without impacting the operational (daily) budget for salaries, supplies, etc. Outside of bond programs, growth management options for districts include adding portable classrooms, adjusting class sizes, and/or adjusting school attendance boundaries to balance enrollments.

Since the passage of the 2017 bond, most of the bond program has been completed. There are a few projects remaining, the largest of which being Eagle Mountain High School. The district’s fourth comprehensive high school is under construction and is set to open in August 2024. General maintenance projects such as some HVAC, landscaping and signage work also is being completed throughout the district. 

In addition to these projects from the 2017 bond are $10 million in improvements to indoor athletic areas at Saginaw High School and $5 million allocated toward a natatorium partnership. Depending on the outcome of the November 2023 bond referendum, these funds will either be combined with funds allocated in this newest bond to complete them, or if the bond referendum is unsuccessful, these funds will still be used for these projects independently. Additional information about these projects is available under the FAQs for Proposition C and Proposition D. The funds approved in the 2017 bond remain in reserve for these identified projects.

The only remaining school construction project unable to be completed from the 2017 bond is the replacement of Wayside Middle School. The replacement was originally scheduled to begin in 2025 with a completion date of 2026. This project was directly affected by the unprecedented increase in construction prices stimulated by the COVID pandemic. The historical norm for increases in construction prices is 3-5% annually. The construction industry experienced significant price increases due to COVID, with construction prices rising as much as 25% in one year. The availability and cost of materials, supply chain delays, personnel expenses, etc., all contributed to this escalation. This inflation affected all remaining projects not under contract for pricing. As a result, the unexpected and unprecedented increase in construction prices exceeded the bond allowance that voters approved in 2017. Below is a chart illustrating overall building construction cost increases due to COVID inflation:

The usage of glass in our new facilities is directly related to two factors: the benefit of natural light and modern lighting systems. We incorporate natural light into as many spaces as possible in our new schools for students and staff to experience the health and emotional benefits. It provides an interaction with the outside, while still maintaining secured spaces. While it may be perceived to be more expensive than traditional materials, like brick, it is not. Traditional construction requires brick installed by brick masons, weather proofing, framing, insulation, sheetrock, and painting, as well as additional construction supports to hold up the brick. Glass does not require multiple contractors or materials, which provides cost savings over brick. In addition, these systems are complimented by interior lighting systems that must adhere to the current energy codes, which include LED lighting and dimmable lighting. These systems will automatically adjust based on the amount of ambient light; therefore, saving electricity expenses.

It is a common misperception that a stadium at every high school is more expensive than one mega stadium serving all schools. District leaders, as well as independent architects who work with the district, have studied both models and run cost comparisons, and it is actually more cost effective to have stadiums at each high school than to have one stadium for multiple schools.

Much of the cost savings comes from not having to have competition stadiums at our middle schools. EMS ISD middle school teams play their competitive games at one of our three high schools. The middle school fields are specifically practice facilities; therefore, they do not have lights, public address systems, concession stands, public restrooms, a press box, additional bleachers, and locker room space for visiting teams. These would be necessary if these were competition spaces. In addition, a single stadium typically has standalone parking that is used only for these events. In EMS ISD, stadium parking is also used for student parking during the school day. Finally, a standalone stadium for a multi-high school district is typically larger than our campus stadiums. These factors negate the cost difference in a standalone stadium versus campus stadiums.

Other results include the ability to have our varsity games on a Friday night and to have a true home field for games. In districts with multiple high schools using one standalone stadium, games on Thursdays and Saturdays are typical. Also, every team has to travel to a centralized stadium, increasing transportation expenses and time out of classrooms.   

You will notice that each EMS ISD high school stadium is very busy throughout the week, especially during the fall. Having a stadium at every high school was a choice made with the opening of Saginaw High School in 2005 and has allowed us to meet the needs of a growing community and growing programs at both the high schools and middle schools.

There are three primary ways a school district has to repay debt: school tax rate, property values, and development of agricultural land into residential or commercial properties. Dr. Chadwell explains further in the following videos.

• – How School District Bonds are Paid

• – School District Tax Rate: M&O vs. I&S