CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — On Saturday, residents in London ISD will have the option to vote on three bond proposals from the district.
The first, worth $79.4 million, would go towards classrooms across campus, both improving current rooms and adding more.
It will also include infrastructure for the campus, future land acquisition and a future new elementary school.
The second, worth $15.1 million, would be used to renovate the school’s athletic facilities.
If passed, the district would add seating, parking, concessions and bathrooms to the athletic complex. The district would also add a track and convert the outdoor fields to turf.
The final, worth $1.5 million, would be used to update the technology available to students in the district.
London superintendent Dr. Judi Whitis, said the bonds are important because of the growth the district has experienced in the last several years, and how much more growth is expected in the coming years.
Whitis said student enrollment in the district is currently 1,435, which is up 54.5 percent in the last six years.
She said 300-400 homes are being built in the surrounding neighborhoods a year, and the district is expected to surpass 2,500 students in the next five years.
“We do not have enough space for our students, we do not have the infrastructure for the internet for our students,” said Cara Fines, a London ISD parent who is in favor of the bonds passing. “So, it’s really important for us for this bond to pass. There’s no other way for us to meet our demands unless this bond passes.”
James Maddalone is a London ISD parent and a local business owner. He, too, is in favor of the bonds because of the recent expansion of the district.
“There’s a certain capacity for classrooms where you start interfering with that student to teacher ratio. So, we definitely see that there are some growth hindrances,” he said.
Whitis said the district has actually lowered the tax rate in recent years, to offset the rising property taxes.
Currently, residents in the London ISD area pay $1.20 a month for school district taxes, if all the bonds are passed, that number will increase to $1.49 a month.
“One thing I don’t think people consider is our price value is high because the price of our homes is high,” Fines said. “Even with this bond package, our tax rate is still under CCISD, still under Calallen, still under a bunch of our surrounding districts.”
David McGuire lives in the London Towne neighborhood near London ISD.
He recently moved to the area from Colorado and doesn’t have any kids in the district, but he is also in favor of the bonds passing.
“Our children’s futures are very important,” he said. “If we want to prepare the next generation for the success of our nation, then we need to prepare them right now, and they need the proper equipment and facilities to be able to do that.”
Fines hopes people in the area will vote in favor of the bonds, as she believes they will benefit the whole London ISD community.
“Our teachers are incredible, and our students deserve this,” she said. “I think once people understand there is no other way to get to our end goal unless this bond passes, I think then people will rally around it.”
Voting for the bond issue is Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the London ISD administration building, located at 1306 FM 43.
