In 2022, bonds were presented for school districts in the area. Taylor, Coupland and Thrall school districts all had bond proposals on ballots in either May or November. Each bond was focused on preparing for growth. The bonds were placed in the hands of voters, and not all propositions passed.
Taylor ISD
A $82 million bond to address safety improvements, land acquisition as well as maintenance and operations in Taylor Independent School District was presented to voters in the November election.
With more than 4,000 votes cast, the bond passed with 64.36% (2,624) were in favor of the bond, while 35.64% (1,453) of the voters were against it.
According to Superintendent Devin Padavil, around 13-15% of planned improvements from the bond would be dedicated to safety enhancements at all schools.
Other project priorities identified for the bond included major maintenance to T.H. Johnson Elementary School, playground secured fencing at Naomi Pasemann Elementary School, building additions and renovations at Taylor Middle School, and classrooms for visual arts as well as career and technical education at Taylor High School.
In addition, $7 million will be used for land acquisition based on projections the elementary school will exceed enrollment between 2026 and 2028, and the middle and high schools shortly thereafter.
Enrollment for this decade is projected to more than double, officials said, from 3,040 students in the 2021 school year to 6,160 students by 2031, officials said.
Some of that growth is driven by the pending opening of Samsung Austin Semiconductor and other related high-tech industries locating in the area, creating thousands of new jobs and attracting new families.
Thrall ISD
Two bonds were presented to voters for improvements at Thrall Independent School District.
Proposition A narrowly passed with 53.58% of the voters in favor of the proposition and 46.42% of the voters against it.
The $64,816,680 proposition was for a new elementary campus including playgrounds, gym space, cafeteria, and parking; addition to the high school campus including classrooms, gym space and parking; renovation of current elementary campus to convert to a middle school; and athletic facility upgrades including a new weight room, tennis courts and upgrades for baseball and softball.
Proposition B, which included improvements for Tiger Stadium, failed with 55.04% of the voters against of the proposition and 44.96% for the proposition.
The propositions resulted in a tax increase of 5 cents per $100 valuation over the current tax rate of $1.2897. Thrall ISD says the projection is conservative and a significant economic slowdown should be offset by the use of conservative property value growth assumptions.
Citizens ages 65 and older with a homestead and exemption application filed through the Williamson County Appraisal District would not be affected by the bond election.
Granger ISD
In May, voters passed a $44 million bond at Granger Independent School District to address growth in the near future. The bond passed with 59% of the voters in favor of the proposal.
Granger ISD staff calculated the district will double its student population within 10 years. As a result, the school board called for a $44 million bond proposal for a new secondary high school campus, baseball and softball fields, a new football stadium with a track, weight room and field house, and the purchase of additional land and buses, along with renovations and upgrades to the existing elementary campus.
The district’s next step is to sell bonds in several increments over several years to schedule purchases as the taxable assessed values grow.
Coupland ISD
Enrollment is growing at Coupland Independent School District, and a bond was on the May ballot to help prepare for the growth.
Coupland ISD board member voted to add a bond proposal for a new middle school and to address growth. The proposal on the ballot was for $91.6 million, with the money being used as needed, not all at once.
The bond failed with a 50-50% split. A total of 168 votes were cast in the election. However, there was no polling location in Coupland, which could have affected the turnout.
