Donna school board members are mulling the possibility of a hefty $120 million bond election for May that administrators say would help address needs outlined in a 2019 study, and to help prepare the district for anticipated growth.
Trustees heard a presentation on the prospective bond Friday, Jan. 27.
They’ve taken no action on it and have until Feb. 17 to order an election. Superintendent Angela Dominguez told the board the need for a bond has been brewing since a 2019 study by the Texas Association of School Boards that identified more than $240 million in recommended repairs and updates. She said local and federal ESSER funds have addressed many of the district’s roof and HVAC issues, but needs remain.
“I know this is a huge decision,” she said. “It’s a huge responsibility. And when we think about the future and building a legacy for Donna ISD, we need to think about the needs of our children. And even those members of the community that aren’t parents in the community, they still live and reside around our children and this district, who will grow up to be the ones that are sitting at the dais and leading us in the future.”
Most of that $120 million would — if approved — go toward building new classroom space, which Dominguez says is in demand. She gave the example of Donna North; though the school is just 10 years old, it requires a whopping 30 portable buildings.
“And while it is our newest school facility, it quickly became overgrown with the population in that area of our school district,” Dominguez said.
Though like most school systems the district experienced a pandemic decrease in enrollment, numbers are moving up and Dominguez expects enrollment to grow significantly and permanently soon. She said based on current housing development around town, Donna ISD stands to gain almost 1,500 new students and will need a place to put them.
“We have new housing developments that are popping up all over our community, and those are going to bring in new families to us. We are also seeing many students come back to us from other school districts or charter school entities,” she said.
The bond trustees are considering would allocate $18.76 million to build a new cafeteria and kitchen at Donna High and to convert current dining space into classrooms. And $22.4 million would go toward adding single wings at Munoz, Garza, Salazar and Singleterry elementaries while $16.5 million would pay for two new wings at Donna North.
Other funds would pay for additional classrooms at Veterans and Sauceda middle schools, new gyms at AP Solis and Todd, and new outdoor learning spaces for all elementary campuses.
Construction costs, Dominguez noted, are increasing and expected to keep increasing.
“I know that this is a big ask, but there are a lot of needs,” she said. “And we have been tackling them as diligently as possible with funds that we have available. We are responsible to our children; our theory has all been about building a legacy for our students, one student at a time. Part of building that legacy is leaving them with facilities that are lasting and that can keep up to date with the learning needs and learning styles of our students in the future.”
Donna ISD has put eight bond propositions before voters since 2000. Half have passed, and $120 million would be over double the largest of those propositions, a $52 million package that supported the construction of Donna North.
If successful, the district expects the overall tax rate increase tied to the bond to be 6.98 cents.
On a $108,000 home — about the average value in Donna — that increase would equate to some $47.44 a year, though the ultimate financial implications of a bond are murky.
It was a point the district could not shed much light on by press time Saturday and its financial advisor, Miguel De Los Santos, told trustees that the issue is inherently uncertain because of the ongoing legislative session.
De Los Santos said, however, that the uncertainty favors the district. He expects increased homestead exemptions and more tax rate compression to come out of Austin. “Those two things are gonna happen. And those are gonna mitigate your tax rate … and I predict that you’re probably gonna have maybe an increase of four or five pennies at the very most. And probably less — I’m being very conservative,” he said.
Based on current funding formulas, the state would pay for some 62% of the bond issue if approved, trustees were told. Homeowners would pay for about 24% of the issue, while other commercial and industrial properties would account for about 14%.
“If the board votes February the 17th to move forward, then we have a lot of work to do,” De Los Santos said.
