Hays school district calls $368 million bond. Here's what district hopes to get.

Keri Heath, Austin American-Statesman
·3 min read

At lunchtime Thursday, students at Moe & Gene Johnson High School in Buda sit at overflow tables just outside the cafeteria.

The Hays district school, 4260 FM 967, opened in 2019, but already it’s over its capacity for students, Principal Brett Miksch said.

“Right now, these classrooms are built to function for around 25 to 26 students,” Miksch said. “We’re at 35, 36 students.”

To combat continued rapid growth in Hays County and build new facilities for high-demand programs like fine arts and athletics, the district has proposed a $367.8 million bond package.

School bonds aren’t new in a county where the population has grown by 71.4% since 2010, from 157,107 people to 269,225, and district leaders have said more investment is needed to keep up.

The district fully expects growth to continue in Hays County for another five decades, Superintendent Eric Wright said.

Already, some of the district’s newer facilities, like Johnson, are at or nearing capacity, he said. The district is constantly thinking about new buildings, he said.

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Students walk through the main hall at Moe & Gene Johnson High School in Buda. The school's operating capacity is about 2,200 students, but it currently has about 2,800 enrolled students.
Students walk through the main hall at Moe & Gene Johnson High School in Buda. The school's operating capacity is about 2,200 students, but it currently has about 2,800 enrolled students.

“We do have some portables on various elementary campuses, and we have construction projects right now to alleviate that,” Wright said. “We have the cadence of building one new elementary school and getting the design for the next.”

The largest and main piece of the bond package, Proposition A, would invest $208.8 million in facilities.

The package would pay for construction of a new elementary school and designs for another; improvements and expansions at several high schools; security upgrades; and the design fees for a fourth high school.

The $102.9 million Proposition B is focused on expanding fine arts, athletics and career education facilities. It would fund expansions at Johnson and Lehman high schools, athletic facilities across the district, musical instruments, and career and technical facilities.

Proposition C would fund almost $4 million in technology upgrades like network security and software.

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Proposition D would spend $52.2 million for outdoor, covered pavilions with artificial turf for athletics, band or dance practices, among other uses.

Despite the high volume of projects, district officials don’t expect the bond package to raise the district’s tax rate. The county is experiencing so much growth, officials might be able to lower the tax rate, even if the bond passes, he said.

Students exit the building through a stairwell during a fire drill at Moe & Gene Johnson High School in Buda. “Right now, these classrooms are built to function for around 25 to 26 students,” Principal Brett Miksch said. “We’re at 35, 36 students.”
Students exit the building through a stairwell during a fire drill at Moe & Gene Johnson High School in Buda. “Right now, these classrooms are built to function for around 25 to 26 students,” Principal Brett Miksch said. “We’re at 35, 36 students.”

The need for new facilities is evident at Johnson, where the school’s cosmetology program, which issues industry-level certificates to graduates, is growing in popularity.

Officials don’t like to shut students out of the program, but they have to because the school simply doesn’t have room for more haircutting stations in its classroom, Miksch said.

In addition to building a new building at Johnson for academic classrooms, the bond also is focused on expanding extracurricular space for students.

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Right now, some activity classes are practicing in makeshift spaces, like the dance team, which doesn’t have a competition-style gym, Miksch said.

“Their classroom’s in the cafeteria,” Miksch said. “We’re competing on a high level. You don’t practice football on a tennis court.”

Percussionists practice in April in a room in the fine arts building at Moe & Gene Johnson High School. An upcoming bond would give the school funding to expand the campus, which would include an expansion to the building where the band practices.
Percussionists practice in April in a room in the fine arts building at Moe & Gene Johnson High School. An upcoming bond would give the school funding to expand the campus, which would include an expansion to the building where the band practices.

The facilities also would help the district in its goal of getting all students involved in an extracurricular or fine arts program, Wright said.

That involvement improves sense of belonging and attendance, he said.

“We believe that helps with the mental health and the academic success,” Wright said. “They'll have to pass their courses to be able to participate.”

District officials expect enrollment to grow by 48.5% by 2028, from 22,162 students to 32,920 students.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas election: Hays school district proposes $368M bond package