HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — $367 million is now up for a vote this coming May election. It’s money for Hays CISD’s 2023 Bond.

On Monday, the school board voted to send the proposal to the ballot. The district said the money is needed to help keep up with the ongoing growth.

“We’re projected to grow as many as 1,000 a year for the next decade. If we did nothing, it would just be a matter of years before we would run out of space,” said Hays CISD spokesperson Tim Savoy.

Hays CISD parent Marc Van Bree said his family has dealt firsthand with school capacity issues.

“My daughter is in seventh grade now. Two years ago, when she was in elementary schools, she had to be placed in some portables, for example, because the school is at capacity,” Van Bree said.

Savoy said the bond includes four different propositions:

  • Proposition A: Academics & Growth
  • Proposition B: Fine Arts, Athletics & CTE
  • Proposition C: Technology
  • Proposition D: Outdoor Multipurpose Pavilions

The money would pay for things, like technology upgrades, additional school buses and more space.

“One of the big projects on here is an elementary school. And that just expands our ability to house more elementary students. We’re also looking at some high school expansion,” Savoy said.

While there are growing pains with a growing student body, Savoy said it is a good problem to have.

“We can add things like a water polo team. We have a rocketry program. We have a Firefighter Academy,” Savoy said. “If we were a smaller district, we wouldn’t have enough students interested in them to make them viable.”

Van Bree said he supports putting more money towards improvements, as long as it helps across the board.

“Making sure that not all funding goes to one particular school or one particular area of the district. Making sure that the opportunity is there for equitable growth,” Van Bree said.

Savoy said if approved by voters, the bond would not create a tax rate increase. The last time the district proposed a bond was in May 2022. It had one proposition that passed with 51% of the vote.