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Proposed Temple ISD bond could cost between $165 million to $181 million

Members of the Citizen Advisory Committee will pick the projects to present to the school board.

TEMPLE, Texas — Residents of Temple had a chance to learn more about Temple ISD's proposed 2021 bond, which could cost anywhere from $165 million to $181 million.

On Thursday, about 140 community members and stakeholders in Temple got a chance to hear about the future of Temple ISD at the first of three Citizen Advisory Committee meetings.

"We had folks that are elderly in the community that were there. We had former graduates. We had current students. We have parents of children," Superintendent Dr. Bobby Ott said.

At the meeting, Ott laid out two propositions that could be on the ballot.

Proposition one could run anywhere from $165 million to $175 million and would focus on growth in the district, achieving equity in programs and completing some projects from the 2011 facility master plan.

"We have some schools that do not have the security vestibules that the community has expressed that they wanted," Ott said.

There are three schools that do not currently have security vestibules: Hector P. Garcia Elementary, Ray-Allen Elementary and Kennedy-Powell Elementary.

Ott said potential projects could include removing all classroom portables, adding a new elementary school and improvements to the school nutrition building.

"Those are folks that take care of schools and they take care of our community, feed our children. It stands to reason that they need to be in a facility that is not substandard," Ott said.

A recent demographic study shows Temple ISD will add about 1,000 students by 2025 and most of the growth will happen in the Southeastern quadrant of the district. 

To account for that growth, the district has already purchased 47 acres of land at the corner Old Highway 95 and Barnhardt Road. Ott said it would be enough space for both an elementary school and a middle school. 

Proposition two would cost $6.5 million for Wildcat Stadium upgrades. 

"That facility was built in 1965 and of course, the restrooms are still 1965, [as well as] the concessions, the fence, [and]  much of the seating," Dr.Ott said.

The propositions will only move forward if the school board calls for an election in August and voters approve the measures in November.

In the next Citizen Advisory Committee meeting, attendees will rank potential projects in order of importance. That meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. July 8 at the Mayborn Convention Center.

The final Citizen Advisory Committee meeting is Aug. 4. At that meeting the committee will present a bond package to the Board of Trustees to consider. 

The board has until Aug.16 to decide whether a bond proposal makes it on November's ballot.

 

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