SILSBEE, Texas — The Silsbee Independent School District is hosting a 2023 Q&A bond presentation on Tuesday for voters in the district.
The presentation is a chance for voters learn about the upgrades the district will be doing thanks to a bond passed in August.
Voters will be asked to accept a property tax increase at the school bond election in November.
The Q&A will be held at Edwards-Johnson Memorial Silsbee Middle School on October 17,2023 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. The public will be allowed to attend to the presentation.
The Silsbee ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved an $84.5 million bond in August for the construction, renovation, improvement, acquisition and equipment of school buildings in the district.
Texas school districts do not receive state funding for renovating or building new schools. Instead, they must receive funds through school bond elections.
If Silsbee voters pass the bond in November, the estimated impact would be $7.86 per month on a home valued at $150,000, according to a Silsbee ISD news release.
In 2019, Texas Legislators passed a new law as part of House Bill 3 that requires all bond propositions for any school district to have the phrase, ‘This is a property tax increase’ on all ballot language for bond propositions.
Due to this requirement, all voters will see this statement on the official ballot, even if the tax dollar amount is frozen and will not exceed the tax ceiling.
Homeowners 65 and older will not be impacted by the passage of the bond propositions if they have filed for and received the Over 65 Homestead Exemption with the Hardin County Appraisal District.
The most significant components of the proposed bond projects are as follows:
- Safety and Security updates to protect students and staff across multiple campuses.
- Construction of a new Edwards-Johnson Memorial Silsbee Middle School to provide state-of-the-art facilities which will include a competition gymnasium, band hall and four lane track.
- Reconfiguration of grades to include only 7th and 8th grade students.
- Renovating Laura Reeves into an Intermediate campus which will house 4th, 5th and 6th grade students.
- Pre-K and Kindergarten will relocate to Silsbee Elementary.
- Construction of a Career and Technical Education Building at Silsbee High School, preparing students for real-world opportunities. The building will include floral design, technology, culinary, robotics and nursing.
- Updates to the softball and baseball complex, including the installation of turf fields and drainage improvements.
- Resurfacing of Tennis Courts and addressing longtime drainage issues.
- Construction of a new Ag Barn
Election Day is Tuesday, November 7, and Early Voting is October 23 to November 3.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
