EVADALE, Texas — People living in Evadale Independent School District have a big decision to make on May 4 regarding a proposed $24 million bond.
If passed, the bond would build two new schools and remodel the junior high school.
Evadale ISD consists of three campuses, and elementary, junior high and high school that are connected. All of the schools were built before 1976.
However, the bond would ultimately raise property taxes.
According to the Evadale ISD superintendent Kevin Shipley, students are learning in an environment with faulty plumbing, broken A/Cs and old classrooms.
"Right now we're having to move from this classroom to this classroom because the A/C is not working," Shipley said.
Evadale ISD had a comprehensive study done in 2020, which found a lot of costly problems. The district says these problems will be easier and cheaper to fix by tearing down and starting over.
"So hopefully those things will be eradicated and just have a little better more positive environment," said Shipley.
"Well I'm for it. I have two grandchildren that go down there and I want them to go to a place that they can be proud of," said Evadale resident Carol Langford.
Langford's late husband, Robby Langford, also served as the Director of Maintenance for Evadale ISD.
"He would come home and tell me about the leaking roofs, about the sewer problems, and the toilets not working, and electrical problems, and the air conditioning problems. It's just a lot of problems because the school is old," Langford told 12News.
Langford supports the bond despite the property tax increase to fund it.
"For an INS total right at 44 and a half cents, 45 cents. So for a total tax rate of about 126/ 127 when we're all said and done," said Shipley.
Juliana Avila, who home-schools her kids, says she voted against the bond.
"Yeah, they want to increase it. No, not with the rising cost of everything. I think there needs to be a better plan in place to show exactly where that money is going," Avila said.
Here's what would happen if the bond passes:
- The new elementary school will be built behind the current campus.
- The small junior high wing will move into the media center.
- That media center will expand to include classrooms for kids.
- The current high school will be demolished, rebuilt and expanded.
"This will allow us to move forward and take the money that's there to educate kids and focus that money on that. Instead of trying to keep our facilities just up," Shipley said.
The school's bond website has an interactive property tax calculator to see how much extra you'll pay if the bond passes.
Early voting has already begun and Election Day is May 4.