Celina voters to decide on $2.3 billion school bond Saturday

Celina voters will vote on a roughly $2.3 billion school bond package to build new schools, upgrade safety, and increase technology.

The bond, which is split into two propositions, was approved by the district's board of trustees on Feb. 3.

Celina ISD Proposition A

Proposition A will allocate about $2.27 million to build new campuses, renovate existing facilities and purchase new buses following increased enrollment. Voters will choose either "For" or "Against."

"THE ISSUANCE OF $2,275,695,579 OF BONDS BY THE CELINA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR SCHOOL FACILITIES, THE PURCHASE OF NECESSARY SITES FOR SCHOOL FACILITIES, BUSES AND VEHICLES AND THE IMPOSITION OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL OF AND INTEREST ON THE BONDS. THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE."

Celina ISD Proposition B

Proposition B will allocate $20 million for technology, including upgrading the current phone system and purchasing devices for students. Voters will choose either "For" or "Against."

"THE ISSUANCE OF $20,000,000 OF BONDS BY THE CELINA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT AND THE IMPOSITION OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL OF AND INTEREST ON THE BONDS. THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE."

The district said that Celina ISD's tax rate will remain the same due to its fast growth. More information on the bond and polling locations can be found on the district's .

Early voting runs from April 22-29. Election Day is May 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

HOW ARE TEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICTS FUNDED?

Texas school districts are funded by three sources: Federal money, state money and local taxes. Local taxes comprise two tax rates, Maintenance and Operations (M&O) and Interest and Sinking (I&S), set by the school board. M&O is the money used to pay for the day-to-day operations of a school district, including salaries and professional development, utilities, curriculum, building maintenance, and student services. I&S is the money generated from bonds to pay for new buildings, renovations, security, buses and other large expenses. The I&S tax rate is used to repay the bonds. Funding approved for M&O and I&S projects can't be mixed.

HOW CAN BOND MONEY BE SPENT?

Bond money can only be spent on capital projects like new buildings, renovations, security upgrades, land acquisition, and other non-recurring costs. It can't be spent on salaries, staff, utilities, fuel, or other recurring costs. The money repaid from a bond will include interest over time, generally 30 years. Many districts try to repay their bonds early to save on the interest obligation.

WHAT IS A VATRE?

VATRE stands for Voter Approval Tax Rate Elections. If a district needs to increase funding for salaries, daily operating expenses, or other recurring costs, then they have to ask voters to approve of an increase of the M&O Voter Approved Tax Rate (VATR). Many districts hold VATREs to increase M&O funding because they have a deficit. State legislators have not increased funding for schools since 2019, and with inflation and the addition of unfunded mandates, such as adding an armed officer on each campus, many school districts say they are strapped for cash.

'THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE'

A state law requires Texas school districts to include the statement, “This is a property tax increase,” on every ballot proposition. That is true even if the proposition does not increase the tax rate. In their proposals, many Texas school districts say they can issue bonds without increasing the I&S rate. This is often done by taking on new bond debt as old, declining debt is paid off. Read the district's proposal thoroughly to understand whether voting for the bond package will result in a tax rate change. Even without an increase in the tax rate, changes in property tax appraisals could result in a larger tax bill for the property owner.