FAQs

What is the purpose of the 2023 Bond?
The Eanes ISD Board of Trustees called an election for voters to consider three propositions to authorize safety and security projects, facility renovations and upgrades, energy-efficiency initiatives, the purchase of new learning equipment, stadium repairs, and the purchase of new technological devices for students and district staff.

How was the decision made to call this election?
After district officials spent the first six months of 2022 conducting a thorough review of needs (and potential costs) at all Eanes ISD campuses and facilities, a Bond Advisory Committee met six times during the fall and winter to review those needs and then recommended that the Board of Trustees set an election for a $131.429 million bond proposal.

Why is this bond election broken into three propositions?
The Texas Legislature approved legislation in 2019 that created a distinction among “general purpose” propositions, “special purpose” propositions, and propositions related to the acquisition or update of certain technology equipment. The law requires that proposed bond projects be broken into separate propositions based on these categories.

Which schools benefit from this bond program?
The bond is proposed at $131.4 million and includes projects at every campus throughout the District.

Why do districts utilize bonds?
On the Maintenance & Operations (M&O) side, for every $1 collected from taxpayers, Eanes ISD keeps approximately $0.36. On the bond side, for every $1 received, Eanes ISD keeps 100 percent.

New construction and certain infrastructure can only be funded with bonds. M&O money funds day-to-day expenses, such as teacher salaries and campus utilities

Local communities decide how to pay for their needs. Approximately 65 percent of the M&O taxes received by Eanes ISD is taken by the State of Texas as Recapture for redistribution to the State’s General Fund.

What kind of projects are included on the 2023 Bond?
The bond includes projects at every campus throughout the District including maintenance and efficiency projects, including safety and security upgrades, maintenance and refurbishment projects, and the purchase of new technological devices for students and staff.

• Proposition A would authorize safety and security upgrades, physical repairs, and refurbishments at every campus — as well as energy-efficiency projects, network replacements, new learning management system, and library modernizations. Projects include roof and HVAC repairs, playground resurfacing, new pavement of parking lots, server upgrades and replacement of fine arts equipment and instruments. Refurbishment of newly purchased district property adjacent to Westlake High School is also included. Cost: $117.773 million.
• Proposition B would authorize refurbishments at Chaparral Stadium including safety upgrades, pole lighting replacements, a replacement video board and track surface replacement. Cost: $2.411 million.
• Proposition C would authorize the replacement of student and staff digital devices, as well as computer equipment in labs, classrooms, and offices. Cost: $11.245 million.

What do you do with the technology such as iPads that you are replacing? Can you donate it?
By statute, the District cannot donate equipment that has a monetary value. Instead, retired items are sold and the proceeds are credited back to the bond fund from which they were originally purchased. Those funds can then be used for expenditures which would have been allowable under the original bond.

What are the software subscriptions that are included in Prop A?
Subscriptions and software included in the proposition include a variety of applications used across the district by students, staff, and parents. The most known applications included in Prop A are the district’s student information system (Skyward), Adobe, Microsoft Office 365, and Google for Education (Classroom, Docs, Drive, etc.). The proposition also includes classroom applications and software used to monitor safety and security resources across the district.    

How will the bond affect the Spanish Immersion program?
Regardless if the bond passes or fails, the Spanish Immersion program will continue. While the district is reviewing and working with an SI Taskforce, the district is committed to continuing and improving the SI program.

What types of security projects does this bond proposal include?
The bond proposal includes more than $8.2 million for safety and security, which encompasses the following projects districtwide: new and updated security cameras, additional safety barriers and door prop alarms, door-locking device upgrades, lightning prediction system improvements and emergency medical equipment such as Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). There is funding for network security and cybersecurity management, as well as elementary playground improvements and replacements to fire alarm systems.

There is funding in Proposition A for refurbishments at every campus. What type of refurbishments?
Those projects could include painting and other maintenance required of buildings ranging from 30 to more than 80 years old. In addition to the refurbishments at every campus, Proposition A would include roof repairs and replacements, HVAC replacements, parking lot pavement repairs and restriping, plumbing work, kitchen expansion and installation of covered awnings at multiple campuses to protect students and staff from weather. There is also funding in Proposition A for furniture replacements, elevator modernizations and site drainage and erosion projects as well as individual campus network upgrades and improvements.

How would the bond proposal impact fine arts programs?
Proposition A includes replacement and updates of musical instruments and equipment at elementary, middle and high schools, new band uniforms for the high school and production lighting and technology infrastructure at the Westlake High School Performing Arts Center. There are a number of equipment replacements and additions for our Visual Arts programs.  There is a project to create a video production control room in the performing arts center for the technical theatre students who support all Eanes ISD performing arts groups including band, orchestra, choir, theatre, dance and the video production of the Westlake HS Football Broadcast.

How would the bond proposal impact athletic programs?
Proposition A includes new athletic uniforms and equipment, tennis court resurfacing at middle schools and Westlake High School, basketball goal replacements at middle schools and outdoor basketball court resurfacing at elementary schools. Proposition B would authorize refurbishments at Chaparral Stadium including pole lighting replacements, track surface replacement, bleachers, handrails and video board replacement.

What types of technology purchases would Proposition C fund?
The funding in Proposition C would fund several types of devices and accessories that are at the end of their life cycle, including lab, classroom and office devices, staff digital devices, student digital learning devices, and time clocks.

When would work begin on the projects included in these propositions?
If the bond propositions were to pass, most projects would begin as early as September. The bond funds would need to be encumbered first, which takes time.

How is the district using the bond to save money for the fund that pays teacher/staff salaries?
Funding maintenance and technology projects through bonds instead of the regular budget saves more money in the general fund for teacher and staff salaries. Some of the projects in the 2023 bond — such as solar panels and various technologies — will save an estimated $2.9 million annually in operating costs once the projects are fully implemented.

One of the primary advantages of solar power for a school district is the potential for cost savings on electricity bills. Solar panels generate electricity from the sun's energy, which can offset the amount of  electricity needed from the grid. This can result in lower electricity bills over time, allowing the district to allocate more resources towards other educational priorities. 

While the upfront costs of installing solar panels would require an initial investment, the district can benefit from reduced electricity bills, resulting in cost savings and financial stability over the system's lifespan. Based on the estimated size of systems proposed, approximately $230,000 in value of solar savings would be realized each year once fully implemented. The systems would additionally qualify for available incentives through the District's energy utility provider (Austin Energy) Commercial Solar Performance-Based Incentive (PBI), earning an extra credit on monthly electric bills for the power the solar system generates, totalling approximately $235,000 annually for the first 5 years in service.  

What would be the difference in the tax rate if some or all of the propositions passed?

There would be no difference. Regardless of what happens with the three propositions, the total tax rate will remain $1.0046. That total tax rate is made up of a Maintenance and Operations rate of $0.8846 and an Interest & Sinking rate of $0.12. The rate will not go up or down based on what voters decide May 6.
 

Why does the ballot say “THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE?”
The Legislature passed a law in 2019 requiring every school bond proposition to include those six words, regardless of whether the tax rate is actually increasing. The law makes no exceptions. While there is nothing Eanes ISD can do about this requirement, it is important for the community to understand that the tax rate will not change as a result of the May 6 vote.
 

How can EISD propose a bond with no tax rate increase? How is that possible?
Because Eanes ISD has been retiring past debt and, in some cases, paying debt off early, combined with the assessed evaluation of property (TAV) in the Eanes ISD attendance area consistently increasing, we know that the current $0.12 EISD bond rate will generate enough revenue to meet our obligations for the proposed Bond without having to increase the rate.  

What is the district's bond rating and general financial status?
The District's current credit ratings are "AA" from Standard & Poor's Rating Service, and "AA+" by Fitch Ratings. The District's FIRST (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas) rating is "Superior Achievement."

How does the bond program affect the District's M&O Budget?
The bond program takes the pressure off of the District's Maintenance and Operations (M&O) budget, which is used to pay for day-to-day expenses, such as teacher salaries, as well as campus utilities. 

On the M&O side, for every $1 collected from taxpayers, Eanes ISD keeps approximately $0.36.  This is because Eanes ISD is categorized by the state as a "property wealthy" district.  As a result, currently approximately 65 percent of the M&O taxes received by Eanes ISD is taken by the State of Texas under the "Robin Hood" plan for the State's General Fund. Eanes ISD will send the state more than $120 Million in recapture for the 2022-23 school year. With this payment, the District will have paid more than $1.6 Billion in recapture payments to the state since 1995. 

On the bond side, for every $1 received, Eanes ISD keeps 100 percent. Bond money cannot be used for teacher salaries; however, bond money can be used to pay for certain capital expenses that might otherwise be funded from M&O money, so that more M&O funds are available for salaries. Bond money is used for capital expenditures, buses and technology.

Are bond funds recaptured?
No, bond funds are not subject to recapture by the state under current school finance funding formulas; 100 percent of these funds remain in Eanes ISD.

How does recapture affect the District's Maintenance & Operations (M&O) Budget?
Eanes ISD will send the state more than $120 Million in recapture for the 2022-23 school year. With this payment, the District will have paid more than $1.6 Billion in recapture payments to the state since 1995.  Currently approximately 65 percent of the M&O taxes received by Eanes ISD is taken by the State of Texas under the "Robin Hood" plan for redistribution to the State's General Fund.

Are you taking out long-term debt for technology equipment that has a relatively short useful life?
Eanes ISD looks at the expected useful life for proposed projects and sells bonds with maturities to ensure that ALL projects are paid for during their useful lives.

All who pay taxes understand tax bills can go up while tax rates remain unchanged. Many/most districts also need to raise the tax rate when they pass a bond program. Eanes ISD wants to ensure the community understands we will not do that for the proposed May 6 Bond. The rate will not go up or down based on what voters decide May 6.

Additionally, over the last 20 years we have lowered the debt service tax rate from more than 23 cents to the current 12 cents.

Technically,  if the District stopped taking on debt, we would eventually pay off all of the debt and we wouldn’t need a debt service tax rate. 

However, using debt in conjunction with the M&O budget is how Eanes is able to provide the services and programs that it does. In the restrictive school finance world we live in, we believe bond programs are an important tool to provide the community with the programs and resources that they expect and deserve.

If you look at the debt loads and tax rates of our peer districts in Central Texas and around the state, you will find we have managed to keep our tax rate much lower than most - second lowest in the area. We also believe providing amazing programs and resources at a lower tax rate than most of our peers is something to be proud of.