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• Remember that election ballots are legal documents. Therefore, the proposition must be written in a very specific way using legal wording.
• Also, it is impossible to include every element of the proposed bond package on the ballot. So, the proposal generally describes the facilities addressed and the focus of renovation and/or expansion.

See the ballot language and descriptions below. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate ask. 

A school bond is similar to a home mortgage. 

It is a contract to repay borrowed money over time with a fixed, tax-exempt interest rate.  Bonds are approved by voters for the costs of construction, renovations, and equipment.  Almost all school districts in Texas must utilize voter-approved bonds to finance new facilities and major renovation projects outside the scope of normal maintenance and operations. 

For more information, visit the We Go Public site.

A committee of more than 25 members including staff, parents, and community members worked with Robyn Popa from Pfluger Architect to develop the bond proposal. The meetings of this committee that began on November 8, 2022 followed an extensive process to determine what should be included in the bond proposal.  

1. Understand the architectural evaluation and ratings of all district facilities. 
2. Determine which buildings were able to renovated, expanded, and/or deemed unable to renovate based on Pfluger ratings. 
3. Consider building, expansion, and/or renovation proposals and related costs developed by Pfluger.
4. Dicsuss and provide feedback to assist Pfluger in adjusting proposals to better meet district needs and desired budget maximum for bond election.  
5. Consider building, expansion, and/or renovation of adjusted proposals. 
6. After several meetings, much discussion, and combining projects from two different proposals to ensure the largest student impact possible, the committee agreed on a bond proposal to submit to the RISD school board. 
7. The bond proposal was presented to the school board and all constituents were invited to a community bond meeting on Thursday, February 9, 2023 to understand the bond proposal and the process that had taken place.

The bond meetings assisted interested parties in understanding not only the needs of our school and facilities, but also understanding the importance of why the school bond is a great investment for our school and community.

The state entitlement for Rocksprings ISD is based on average daily attendance and some other special formulas for certain programs and students. Like most districts, approximately 80% of RISD annual expenditures is on salaries and benefits. Teacher salaries are not dependent on the number of students in the school. Therefore, the state allows us to keep less of our M&O tax money based on fewer students, but we are still paying the same amount in faculty/staff expenditures to support all aspects of the student educational experience. 

Some people in the community have wondered why we don’t offer more technical programs for high school students, but addressing the need for secondary faculty members and programs is the most difficult portion of the faculty budget to balance in a small school. One teacher can be hired for each grade in the entire elementary school. One teacher/coach can be hired to cover all elementary physical education. But, junior high works best with departmentalized teachers for every grade level  (one for each content area: science, math, ELAR, and social studies) and specialized teachers/coaches/directors for athletics, band, and other electives. High school becomes even more complex as it not only requires the same departmentalized and specialized teachers for every grade level as in junior high, but there are also Career and Technical Education Programs/Pathways, dual credit options, and graduation requirements that diversify the schedule for every single student in high school. So, students no longer move from class to class as a grade level all day long. The greater the diversity in high school student offerings, the more faculty required, the larger the strain on local expenditures to sustain faculty salaries.  

So, the state bases the amount of money we are entitled to on student population. But, we must continue to fund programs and salaries to meet the needs of the student population remaining at the same level or more, unless a reduction in force (eliminating teacher positions or programs due to enrollment numbers or interest in programs) is warranted. 

Some people in the community have wondered why we don’t offer more technical programs for high school students, but addressing the need for secondary faculty members and programs is the most difficult portion of the faculty budget to balance in a small school. One teacher can be hired for each grade in the entire elementary school. One teacher/coach can be hired to cover all elementary physical education. But, junior high works best with departmentalized teachers for every grade level  (one for each content area: science, math, ELAR, and social studies) and specialized teachers/coaches/directors for athletics, band, and other electives. High school becomes even more complex as it not only requires the same departmentalized and specialized teachers for every grade level as in junior high, but there are also Career and Technical Education Programs/Pathways, dual credit options, and graduation requirements that diversify the schedule for every single student in high school. So, students no longer move from class to class as a grade level all day long. The greater the diversity in high school student offerings, the more faculty required, the larger the strain on local expenditures to sustain faculty salaries.  

Mr. Taylor’s Tax Fact and Information Page

Public school taxes involve two figures, which divide the school district budget into two “buckets.”

Maintenance and Operations (M&O) generates funds for:

• daily operation costs
• recurring or consumable expenditures such as teacher and staff salaries, supplies, food, gas and utilities
• Approximately 80% percent of the district’s M&O revenue goes to teacher and staff salaries.

Interest and Sinking (I&S) also known as Debt Service:

• used to repay debt for longer-term capital improvements approved by voters through bond elections.
• Proceeds from a bond issue can be used for the construction and renovation of facilities, the acquisition of land and the purchase of capital items such as equipment, technology and transportation.
• I&S funds cannot by law be used to pay M&O expenses, which means that voter-approved bonds cannot be used to increase teacher salaries or pay rising costs for utilities and services.

CITIZENS 65 & OVER ARE ELIGIBLE FOR AN “OVER 65” HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION
Property taxes for citizens age 65 or older would not be affected by the bond election. According to state law, the dollar amount of school taxes imposed on the residence homestead of a person 65 years of age or older cannot be increased above the amount paid in the first year after the person turned 65, regardless of changes in tax rate or property value unless significant improvements are made to the home. If you are 65 or older, you may file a homestead application at any time, or contact your local appraisal district to see if you already have the appropriate exemption on file.

AGE 65 OR OLDER OR DISABLED EXEMPTIONS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Public school finances are a balancing act. As local revenue increases, the state decreases the funding it provides to the school district. When the state determines there is more local revenue than needed, the district is required to pay "recapture" or "Robin Hood."
 
Rocksprings ISD has paid almost $8 million in recapture payments since 2008. During the 2021-22 school year, RISD ranked 86th highest payment among the 158 school districts that paid recapture payments.

While the district's M&O funds are subject to recapture, I&S funds — those generated by bond elections — are not subject to recapture. This means that all of the I&S funds stay in Rocksprings ISD for Rocksprings ISD students.

More Information: 

TEA Local Excess Revenue Information

TEA Annual Financial & Compliance Report

Texas School Coalition

Texas Education Agency Site

• State Funding Site https://tea.texas.gov/finance-and-grants/state-funding
• Excess Local Revenue (Recapture) Information https://tea.texas.gov/finance-and-grants/state-funding/excess-local-revenue
• Facilities Funding and Standards https://tea.texas.gov/finance-and-grants/state-funding/facilities-funding-and-standards
• Revenue Sources and Expenditures https://rptsvr1.tea.texas.gov/school.finance/forecasting/financial_reports/2122_stacked_bar_charts.html

TASB (Texas Association of School Boards

• Overview of Bond Issuance https://www.tasb.org/services/legal-services/tasb-school-law-esource/business/documents/overview-of-school-district-bond-issuance.pdf
• TASB- Gain Trust for School Bonds https://www.tasb.org/members/enhance-district/gain-trust-school-bonds/

Other Sites

• Great video— KSAT Explains: How are school bond projects paid for? https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/05/02/how-are-school-bond-projects-paid-for-ksat-explains/
• We Go Public: School Bonds https://www.wegopublic.com/resources/how-do-school-bonds-work/#:~:text=From%20school%20bonds.-,Likened%20to%20a%20home%20mortgage%2C%20a%20voter%2Dapproved%20school%20bond,the%20authority%20to%20sell%20bonds.
• Recapture in Texas https://recapturetexas.org/
• Texas School Coalition https://www.txsc.org/
• Sample Ballot Lookup – Get more information about state propositions on your ballot. https://ballotpedia.org/Sample_Ballot_Lookup
• Edwards County Central Appraisal District https://www.edwardscad.org/
• Edwards County Election Information https://www.co.edwards.tx.us/page/edwards.electionsnew
• Texas AFT (American Federation of Teachers) https://www.texasaft.org/campaigns/respect/our-issues/recapture/#:~:text=If%20a%20school%20is%20able,dollars%20goes%20to%20charter%20schools.
• School Bonds in Texas https://www.pfisd.net/domain/76
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