Early voting begins Oct. 24 for Waelder ISD bond proposals

It’s take two for the Waelder ISD for a bond election that would allow the district to build new campus classrooms and make upgrades to existing structures while repaying some of the district’s previous outstanding debt at a savings.

Early voting on two propositions totaling a combined $13.745 million begins on Monday, Oct. 24, and continues through Nov. 4 in both Gonzales and Caldwell counties, with election day voting to be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Details about locations for early and election day voting can be found in a legal notice contained in this edition of the Gonzales Inquirer.

Waelder ISD tried in May to pass a total combined $13.6 million bond election, but voters rejected the measure by a 165-98 vote that sent officials at this small, rural school district back to the drawing board.

Waelder ISD has only passed two bond issues in the past 55 years; the last was for $3.8 million in 2007 that was used to build the current gymnasium and administrative offices. Prior to that, it had been 1967 since the district had a bond issue.

The first proposition, or Prop A, would call for the issuance of $10.3 million in bonds for “construction, acquisition and equipment of school buildings in the district, including district-wide renovations, and the purchase of necessary sites for school buildings.” 

The bond would utilize the high school’s former gymnasium, which has not been used since it was deemed obsolete and replaced by the new gym in 2008, by upgrading it to a “cafetorium” — a combination cafeteria and auditorium.

Congestion at the current cafeteria — built in the 1960s — requires multiple lunch periods to accommodate the three schools, so building a cafetorium would alleviate concerns while also providing a stage for graduation and performances by the Fine Arts department.

Meanwhile, the district also has use of only one gymnasium between three different schools, so the bond would cover enclosing the current covered pavilion and basketball courts behind the new gym to create a second temperature-controlled gym, allowing at least two schools to use gyms at one time.

The administration offices would move from the current space in the gym to the former cafeteria site, which would be remodeled. This will also allow the entrance to face North C Avenue like the main entrances to the elementary, middle and high schools.

Meanwhile, the district would build, from the ground up, a new six-classroom building that will house classes for fifth and sixth graders.

Proposition B would call for the issuance of $3.445 million in refunding bonds for the purpose of refunding all or a portion of the principal and interest on previously issued maintenance tax obligation bonds. This moves that debt from the maintenance and operations side to the debt service side while hopefully taking advantage of lower interest rates to save the district money over the life of the bond.

Prop A is expected to cost a total of $17,614,888, including estimated interest of $7,314,888. The estimated maximum annual tax increase imposed on a $100,000 residence by Prop A would be about $101.86, assuming an interest rate of about 4.25 percent.

Prop B is expected to cost a total of $6,348,813, including estimated interest of $2,903,813. The estimated maximum annual tax increase imposed on a $100,000 residence by Prop B would be about $20.48, assuming an interest rate of about 4.25 percent. Altogether, that would create an annual tax increase of about $122.34, or just under $10.20 per month.