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Special to El Rrun-RrunLet’s support the BISD bond election TODAY!
In certain cases involving senior citizens, they will pay nothing at all. No one can argue that our district boards across the last 20 years have not been fiscally responsible and provided responsible financial stewardship. In fact, our financial advisors have asserted that their performance in whittling down that debt has resulted in savings on interest cost to our district taxpayers.
I am very proud to be a product of the BISD school system. I enjoyed attending our schools and supporting my children at school events when they attended school at BISD.
This bond issue on the ballot today includes projects that have been recommended by a committee composed of a cross-section of our fellow district residents. We are not just voting YES for Propositions A and B in this November's bond election,. We're empowering the citizens of Brownsville to take charge of our school district's future. We can ensure that the improvements and changes we need are guided by the community, for the community.
Nearly 20 years ago, the residents of the Brownsville Independent School District were asked to invest $135 million to provide our children with four additional new schools and construct and upgrade wing additions and renovations at seven campuses.
There were also HVAC and fire alarm system upgrades in the bonds package and included Americans with Disability Acts improvements for our disabled children as well as reroofing projects and parking lot expansions and repairs.
Our district residents said "yes" back then and our district and its students were the winners.
The students who attended those new schools and improved campuses have graduated by now, and it's our turn to step up to the plate and provide our coming generations with improvements in at least 39 campuses that have been identified by our fellow district residents in need of structural repairs. We are not building new schools, but rather improving the ones that already exist.
Our district has 50 schools, 34,350 students, and our 5,543 full-time staff in our district that covers 90 square miles, the largest school district in the Rio Grande Valley. Over the years, past generations have taken matters into their own hands and provided their support to educate our children. It's our turn to roll up our sleeves and do our part.
By voting "Yes" on Propositions A and B in today's bond election, we're empowering the citizens of Brownsville to take charge of our school district's future. We can ensure that the improvements and changes we need are guided by the community, for the community.
This bond proposal will ensure our schools are rebuilt, maintained, and provide the right environment for our children to learn, and we will be able to take control of our district, and not continue the top-down, business-as-usual practices that have guided us in the past. Now is our chance to wrest control from bureaucrats and return it where it belongs: in the hands of the people.
Many of BISD's schools are between 50-100 years old and need facility and infrastructure upgrades for basic operation such as air conditioning units.
BISD also has a need for a new Career and Technical Education Center to keep programs moving forward. I also support a new performing arts center for our growing community that will be the largest in the Rio Grande Valley.
While previous elections have addressed growth with new schools, this election is to invest in what we already have. The District has done a good job at retiring most of its old bonded debt and has the capacity to finance new facilities through the voter approved bond election today. And the way we've structured it, new taxation will be minimal.
But let's face it, things cost money, and good things cost good money. It's a fact of life. Do we want the best for out kids?
That responsible performance has resulted in the early retirement of the original debt with no tax increases. It has reduced its debt ahead of schedule and it will now cost less to address financial borrowing to make the proposed district-wide improvements.
Students perform better in newer and/or recently renovated buildings with proper air conditioning and heating systems. Our children deserve access to nice classrooms, no matter where they live. And it's in our hands to provide them this and keep control of the improvements every step along the way.
And if we are vigilant, we can demand that local preference on bidding for their construction be implemented so that our tax money will stay here.
Our fellow residents of the district – through the Citizens Facilities Committee – spent months analyzing the needs of the students and district facilities and proposed another bond issue to be implemented over five years that will bring critical improvements to 39 campuses. Making these improvements, they said, will ensure safe, modern environments for our next generation of students.
Want our district to be a showcase for our students' talent? Build them a performing arts center we can all be proud of.
It is now up to us to take control and support our next generations as those before us did to provide our children with safe, modern learning environments. Please vote "yes" on Props A and B today. It's our turn to take control and get 'er done.
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