City View ISD proposes $19.3 million bond

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - City View ISD is hoping the community will check ‘yes’ on a $19.3 million bond at the polls on Nov. 5.

The money will be used to fund special products the district needs as it expands.

Applications for the bond range from creating a new elementary building to restoring the parking lot and bridges, all with the goal of improving the quality of the learning environment.

City View Superintendent Jesse Thomas said the $19.3 million bond would mean big improvements for the district.

“Within that $19.3 million bond capacity, looking at projects that were directly tied to student success. Whether it was on the academic success side, or a safety component to it. So, it was more of a need base instead of a want base, and that’s what the committee saw,” Thomas said.

Thomas said the need for this bond came became clear after assessing the amount of growth the district has had over the years.

“Doing the Elementary North Building, really allows us to do a number of things. A technology center will be added with that our technology staff will be able to house our servers. Which would create 100 more spaces at our elementary campus and our secondary campus,” Thomas said, adding, “Also, it allows us to build a storm shelter in the 5th & 6th and the Elementary North.”

As the district constructed plans, administrators also look at ways to eliminate elements that restrict class time for students in the CTE.

The district also has plans to give the parking lot and bridge a facelift.

Thomas said it took months to prioritize certain needs while also considering community input.

“We had people who had kids at the secondary, people who had kids at the elementary, people who didn’t even have kids. They were kind of able to look and see,” he said.

If the bond is approved, it is projected to cost homeowners an 18 cent increase per $100 of assessed property value.

“I feel confident that there are a lot of people who have showed their support for the bond proposition because again, weighing out the pros and cons for what it is from a cost benefit analysis they’ve expressed the desires to be in support of the bond,” Thomas explained.

If the bond is approved, there will be no increase above the frozen level of the homestead for taxpayers 65 years and older who have applied and received the freeze.

For more information on the proposal click here.