Lamond Dean, Chapel Hill ISD Superintendent, proposes $125 million bond package that will raise the taxes of residents in the Chapel Hill area. 

Chapel Hill ISD Board of Trustees on Monday night approved putting a $125 million bond package in front of voters on the May 7 ballot.

If approved by voters, the bond, which is composed of two propositions, would fund facility improvements including a new junior high campus, new career tech facility, multipurpose activity center, new transportation and operations facility, and other facility improvements to all existing schools, the district said.

The current tax for debt services of $0.11 would be increased by $0.3482 if the bond is passed, according to information from the district.

Although taxes would go up, Chapel Hill ISD Superintendent Lamond Dean said the district has given residents $1.9 million of savings based on property tax since 2018.   

Homeowners who are 65 and older, and qualify for the Over 65 Homestead Exemption will not receive a tax increase, according to Dean. 

Chapel Hill ISD School Board President Les Schminkey said it has been 15 years since Chapel Hill community has voted to pass a bond.    

“In the fall of 2021, an assessment of our facilities was completed by Texas Association of School Boards Facilities Services (TASB) and was reviewed by the Long Range Facility Planning Committee made up of community members and district staff. The committee proposed a Facility Master Plan in December which has led us to where we are now, calling a bond,” Schminkey said.

During the board meeting, Dean said the current district campus facilities are not up to date and are hindering students from their future professions. The upgrades will “give us the opportunity to impact our children in a way that hasn’t been done in Chapel Hill for a long time,” he said. 

The proposals are part of a project recommendation list presented by the Long Range Facility Planning Committee to the school board in December. The committee of approximately 50 local citizens and staff members reviewed an assessment of all the district’s facilities which was provided by Texas Association of School Boards Facilities Services. The committee recommended safety improvements and renovations to aging student facilities in order to accommodate the continued growth in student programs, extracurricular activities, fine arts, athletic programs and the new educational model at the High School called the Academies of Chapel Hill.

The proposal outline:

New junior high

• Build a new junior high school on its own campus with adequate acreage, circulation, access and facilities. The maximum capacity is 800 students.

New operations and transportation Facility

• Build a new operations facility and relocate the following departments to the new facility: transportation, maintenance, child nutrition, grounds, shipping and receiving, including offices, shops, warehousing, fueling, bus wash bay & parking.

New Career and Technology Education (CTE) Facility

• Build a new CTE facility to replace the current facility, with improved classrooms and shop spaces for the 13 career programs offered by Chapel Hill ISD.

Improvements to existing campuses include:  

• Kissam Intermediate: Renovate the current library space to allow for the construction of an updated campus entrance with enhanced safety and security features. Build a new and improved parent pickup driveway featuring improved traffic flow. Renovate administrative offices to build a 21st century media center.
• Wise Elementary: Build six new classrooms connecting to the main building to enhance the safety and security of the campus. Renovate the gym to expand its capacity and upgrade student restrooms, and storage. Renovate the school entrance and administrative offices with a secure entryway and waiting room.
• Jackson Elementary: Build six new classrooms connecting to the main building to enhance the safety and security of the campus. Renovate the gymnasium to expand its capacity and upgrade student restrooms, and storage.

New multipurpose activity center

• Build multipurpose facility to provide accessibility for district programs to utilize. The proposed plan would accommodate the continued growth in extracurricular activities, band, drill team, cheer and would accommodate over 500 student athletes including football, softball, baseball, soccer and track and field.

The district is planning to host its first virtual meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday for English speaking community members and at 7:30 p.m. for Spanish speaking community members.

Voters living within the boundaries of the district can vote on two ballot items during early voting on April 25 through May 3, or during election day, May 7.

The bond package will be on ballots at the following poll locations: Chapel Hill Fire Department, St. Violet Baptist Church, Clarkston Elementary and Smith County Elections Admin in Tyler.