With early voting only weeks away, Taylor Independent School District officials hard at work in the community answering questions about an upcoming $82.5 million bond issue.
At the Sept. 22 regular meeting of the City Council, Superintendent Devin Padavil made a presentation about the referendum to fund safety upgrades, district growth aging facilities.
Early voting is Oct. 24 to Nov. 4. Election Day is Nov. 8.
Before beginning, Padavil emphasized that this bond issue would not be causing a tax rate increase.
“The most important detail here is, our financial adviser has worked with us to determine, that it is a no tax rate increase school bond,” Padavil said. “So in many communities, when school district goes out for a bond they are asking the tax rate go up by 2 cents, 4 cents, a community nearby went up by the teens for their tax rate, and this is a no tax-rate increase at all.”
According to Padavil’s presentation, the tax rate for the 2022 school year is $1.28 per $100 of property valuation, the lowest rate since 2008.
At the meeting, Padavil said the number one focus of the district with this bond issue was for safety upgrades for schools, including fencing, secure entry ways and more.
“Of our major projects here the number one project is safety and security,” Padavil said. “That includes everything from entry vestibules to security cameras in and outside of the building,” Padavil said.
Another focus is on expansion and renovations of the Career and Technical Education building at Taylor High School, which would receive approximately $18 million for the campus overall.
The current facilities for many key programs, which provide students with many opportunities for high paying careers, at Taylor High School are inadequate, Padavil said.
“In the bottom lefthand corner is one of our shining stars, that’s the welding program,” Padavil said. “Those kids are cramped in there. They are in separate stalls, literally separated by shower curtains, so if you have ever gotten a chance to visit, and you are always welcome if you would like a tour, sparks are flying and those kids are right next to each other. It’s not enough room to really grow the program.” Another major component of the bond is $7 million to purchase land for expansion based on projections the elementary will exceed enrollment from 2026 to 2028, and the middle and high schools shortly thereafter.
“This projection is telling us we need an elementary school by about 2027-28, so that’s about four years of distance,” Padavil said. “So we will have about four years to do arguably, between land acquisition, closing ... and designing and building of the school, about three years to do four years worth of work. So it’s a tight, tight timeline.”
After the presentation, city leaders took the time to express their support for the bond. “As one community advocate, I offer my fullthroated support for this bond package,” said Mayor Brandt Rydell. “We already have our sign in our front yard encouraging others in the community to join in support of this … It’s incumbent upon us as a community to support our children and to provide a better future for all of them, so that is why I am so passionate about this and so supportive about it, and I will be working hard to do my part to help bring this across the finish line.”
District 4 Councilman Robert Garcia echoed Rydell.
“I’m just glad that you all put safety and security as one of the top things for our kids, especially with the status of the world these days,” Garcia said. “But I am in full support of it as well.”
District 1 Gerald Anderson also voiced the need for safety improvements that would be made possible through the bond.
As an example of the extreme climate students are faced with, Anderson spoke about the reaction of his daughter, a Taylor High student, upon learning about Thorndale Independent School District’s policy not to allow phones in their schools.
“About safety, Thorndale has a no-phone policy, and as a parent, I could see that happening to her, and her first response was ‘How would I send my farewell message to you when a shooter is coming in?’” Anderson said. “So safety is important.”
