FAQ

Have a question about the bond? View frequently asked questions below.

General

  • School districts are required by state law to ask voters for permission to sell bonds to investors in order to raise the capital dollars required to renovate existing buildings or build a new school. Essentially, it’s permission to take out a loan to build, renovate and pay that loan back over an extended period of time, much like a family takes out a mortgage loan for their home. A school board calls a bond election so voters can decide whether or not they want to pay for proposed facility projects.

  • Yes. Recent research by the Environmental Protection Agency suggests that a school’s physical environment can play a major role in academic performance. Leaky roofs and problems with heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems can trigger a host of health problems – including asthma and allergies – that increase absenteeism and reduce academic performance. Research links key environmental factors to health outcomes and students’ ability to perform.

  • Working with the Board of Trustees, teachers, and administrators from across the district, the facilities planning committee developed a list of items to consider for inclusion in a bond package. The District has been evaluating current facilities and equipment, ongoing enrollment, growth, and other district priorities with the Board of Trustees.

  • No, the Texas legislature does not allow school districts to accumulate cash. Instead, Texas law states that voters must authorize bonds to finance longer-term capital projects.

  • No, the election will authorize the district to issue no more than $34 million in bonds. Like all loans, the district will repay the principal and pay interest on the bonds.

  • No, voter-approved bonds can only be spent on general school facilities, land, and buses. The district provided a specific list of projects that will be tackled according to costs and priorities. Bond money must be spent on the projects listed on the ballot.

Taxes

  • If you qualify for an age 65+ or disabled person residence homestead exemption, the school district taxes on that residence homestead cannot increase as long as you own and live in that home. The tax ceiling is the amount you pay in the year that you qualified for the age 65+ or disabled person exemption. The school district taxes on your residence homestead may go below but not above the ceiling amount. 

    You must apply for this exemption.

  • A school district’s tax rate is comprised of two components: the Maintenance & Operations tax (M&O) and the Interest & Sinking tax (I&S). The M&O rate is used to operate the school district including salaries, utilities, furniture, supplies, food, gas, etc. The I&S rate is used to pay off school construction bonds. Bond sales only affect the I&S rate.

  • The Texas legislature passed laws in 2019 requiring all school bond elections to include the following language on the ballot: “THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE.” The state mandates all bond ballots to include this language regardless of what individual exemptions each voter may have. The passage or failure of this bond will not impact your school district tax amount if you have an approved homestead exemption.

  • Itasca ISD has no control of property values. The Hill County Appraisal District values real property.
    Find out more information at hillcad.org.

  • The Texas legislature authorized an unlimited I&S tax rate, but the Texas Attorney General caps the annual rate at 50 cents per $100 of taxable value.

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