WACO, Texas — Waco ISD board members have unanimously called for a $355 million school bond election on Nov. 2.
On Thursday, Superintendent Dr. Susan Kincannon made a recommendation to the school board regarding a $355 million facilities master plan that will go on the November bond election to update several schools built in the 1950s and 60s.
"There will never be a better time than the climate we are in now to get this done for our students," said Waco ISD board member Allen Sykes.
The bond election will fund projects prioritized by the Community Advisory Committee: a new Waco High, a new G.W. Carver Middle, a new Tennyson Middle, a new Kendrick Elementary and a renovated South Waco Elementary.
"That is a $376.1 million package that would cost the average homeowner $12/month in Waco ISD," Kincannon said.
While replacing G.W. Carver Middle with a new campus in the same location has been a priority for some time, last month's fire increased the sense of urgency for the project.
On Thursday, the board was also asked to consider taking actions to initiate the process of designing and building a new G.W. Carver Middle. This would allow construction to begin on a timeline similar to Waco High, and a new campus could potentially open in time for the start of the 2023-2024 school year.
Based on these considerations and the advice of the district's architects, the projects would be phased as follows:
- Construction of a new Waco High starting in 2022 with the first phase of the new campus opening in 2024 and a second phase in 2025
- Construction of a new G.W. Carver Middle starting in 2022 with the campus opening in 2023
- Construction of a new Tennyson Middle starting in 2023 with the campus opening in 2024
- Construction of a new Kendrick Elementary starting in 2024 with campus opening in 2025
- Renovations at South Waco Elementary starting in 2023 and being completed in 2024
The bond will appear on the Nov. 2 ballot.