Just as homeowners borrow money in the form of a mortgage to finance the purchase of a home, a school district borrows money in the form of bonds to finance construction,  renovation  and other capital projects. Both are repaid over time, but in order for a school district to sell tax supported bonds, it must go to the voters for approval. 

School districts are required by law to ask voters for permission to issue bonds in order to pay for capital expenditures for projects like building a new school or making renovations to existing facilities. Districts take out a loan and then pay that loan back over an extended period of time, much like a family takes out a mortgage loan for their house. 

Bond funds can be used to pay for new buildings, additions and renovations to existing buildings, land acquisition, technology, buses, and equipment, among other items. By law, bond funds may not be used to fund daily operating expenses, such as salaries or utilities, which are paid for out of the district’s Maintenance & Operation (M&O) budget.  

As state agencies, school districts rely on M&O funds to pay for the day-to-day education of the district's children.  

Bonds allow districts to spread the cost of expensive projects across time without affecting the district’s normal educational operations. Also, bond funds all stay with the district, and they are not subject to state recapture, fluctuations in revenue due to state mandates, or other negative economic influences.  

In short, bonds allow a school district to pay for facility construction or renovations or other capital expenses without impacting its education operations (M&O) fund.

A school district’s tax rate consists of two parts:

• Maintenance and Operations (M&O) which funds the General Operating Fund, which pays for salaries, supplies, utilities, insurance, equipment, and the other costs of day-to-day operations; and

• Debt Service (Interest & Sinking or I&S) can be used for a variety of special purposes, assuming voter approval. For example, they may finance facility construction and renovation projects, acquire land, or purchase capital equipment, such as technology, and transportation, such as buses.

The last Floresville ISD bond election was in May 2007. Since then, the district has continued to grow, and aging facilities require upgrades to meet modern safety, security, and instructional standards.

The $95M bond proposal includes district-wide safety, security, technology, and maintenance improvements, the construction of a new intermediate campus to address capacity challenges, and additions to Career & Technical Education (CTE) and weight room facilities at the middle and high school.

The Board of Trustees reviewed the priority projects recommended by the Facility Task Force, which aligned with concerns expressed by the community. After discussing multiple propositions, the Board decided on a single proposition to address all identified priorities, including capacity and safety. The final decision on these projects will be determined by voters.

Enrollment at the elementary and middle school campuses are approaching capacity. The new intermediate school would house 5th and 6th grade students, alleviating overcrowding at existing schools and allowing for future growth.

FISD began leasing portable classrooms for FSE in 2019 (4 classrooms). In 2022, 4 more portable classrooms were leased for FSE. These were used to house 5th grade students.

In 2022, the district began working on relocating Central Office staff to convert the building back to a campus. In August of 2023, the district reopened the school as the Floresville Early Childhood Center, where the Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 classes were relocated to. This freed up classroom space at both elementary campuses and allowed the 5th-grade classes at FSE to be moved from the portables back to the main campus, which also provided a safer environment for those students and teachers.

The bond proposal includes enhanced security measures across all campuses, including additional security cameras, upgraded fire alarm systems, visitor entry improvements, additional fencing, and new safety communication systems to improve emergency response.

The bond includes funding for new CTE classrooms at Floresville Middle School and improvements to CTE facilities at Floresville High School. These additions will provide students with expanded hands-on learning opportunities and updated spaces to support career-focused education.

If approved, the bond would result in a projected increase of up to $0.22992 to the Interest & Sinking (I&S) tax rate, bringing the total tax rate to $1.11992. Even with this increase, the district’s tax rate remains one of the lowest in the most recent years.

The FISD community has experienced growth with new residential and commercial developments, leading to an increase in total property values. Over the past 10 years, property value growth has averaged 7.48% annually. To estimate the I&S tax rate impact, the district used a conservative projection of 5% annual growth for the next five years, followed by 3.5% annual growth. This projected growth is a key factor in long-term financial planning for the district.

Homeowners 65 years of age and older will see no increase in their tax rate as long as they have filed for their senior citizen homestead exemption.

However, significant improvements to your existing homestead can affect your bill.

For accountability and transparency purposes, an oversight committee that includes staff, parents, and community members will be formed. This committee will monitor the bond projects from start to finish, ensuring they are completed on time, meet expectations, and are within budget.