Gonzales community gives input on GISD bond

Community members and Gonzales ISD staff members gathered for a special called meeting Thursday, Aug. 3 at the administration building regarding a potential bond election.

GISD is proposing a November bond election for a new Gonzales High School, new athletic complex and safety and security.

Superintendent Dr. Elmer Avellaneda and the GISD school board have been livestreaming their bond meetings on Facebook and going over the bond process.

Avellaneda wanted to get input from the community about the bond issue and added the importance of this meeting.

“This community has to speak, these schools or the community schools, these children are the community's children. And as taxpayers, you not only have the right to speak up, you must speak up,” Avellaneda said.

GISD has 100 acres of land across from GHS on 239A that was purchased before Avellaneda became the superintendent of the district.

“That is a gift to us. They had the vision, they had the foresight way back when to purchase close to 100 acres for future development. And as you can tell, the prices of everything — groceries, land — has gone up. Back then we got a steal for those close to 100 acres,” Avellaneda said.

The cost of the projects will cost the district more than $205 million: $144 million for the new high school, $41 million for the new athletic complex, $16 million for safety, security and renovations, and $2.8 million for infrastructure.

The old Gonzales High School would become the new Gonzales Junior High and the old Junior High would then house the intermediate students from North Avenue, which would be phased out and returned to the city of Gonzales.

GISD Financial Officer Amanda Smith went over how the tax rate will be impacted on a potential bond and wanted to make sure the community understands that impact.

“We think it's really important that you all have a common language to use and an understanding of how the school district's tax rate structure looks,” Smith said.

The current tax rate for the 22-23 fiscal year is at 0.9883 and it has gone down 19.27 pennies since 2018.

Smith focused on the Interest and Sinking (I&S) part of the tax rate, and she said that part of the tax rate is what district uses to pay for voter-authorized debt.

“If we decided to proceed with a bond and it passed in November by voters, when we got ready to sell those bonds, again, we're going to talk about the I&S portion of the tax rate. So if you're going to add debt, just like when you take out a mortgage, if you take out a mortgage your bill goes up so you need more money to pay that bill. Same is true for the district,” Smith said.

Smith went over a Senate bill that would impact the maintenance and operations (M&O) tax rate, and she said the Texas House and Senate voted on a “tax compression” bill (Senate Bill 2).

“Senate Bill 2 will actually take pennies out of this M&O bucket, so we started with six pennies in our tax rate before the bond and the bond passed. Now we have eight pennies. But with Senate Bill 2, we're going to be taking pennies out of that M&O bucket,” Smith said.

The SB2 is not in law and Smith said in the November election, voters are required to vote on the tax compression and homestead exemptions.

“In addition to compressing our tax rate or taking pennies out of that in the M&O bucket, they increase the homestead exemption so the taxable value on your home is actually going to decrease,” Smith said

“So the taxable value on your home is actually going to decrease ... When voters approve the increased homestead exemption in November, your taxable value of your property is going to go down,” Smith added.

SB2 is currently being fine-tuned and being sorted through, Smith said, and she told everyone to read SB2.

“Read Senate Bill 2, as though that tax compression could take place every single year, for nine years. And every single year, we're being compressed by 10.7 pennies [out of the M&O bucket]. Our current I&S tax rate going into this year, we're looking at about nine pennies. So in one year, our total tax rate could actually be lower than it is right now without a bond election,” Smith said.

“I'm not telling you this to try to persuade you to do one thing or another. I am a voter here. I'm a taxpayer, I have one vote, so do you. But I think this is important when you're thinking about what could be a very intimidating number, and trying to decide how you want to move forwar,” Smith said.

Several community members expressed their support for the bond election for the new high school and new athletic complex.

“Facts are Gonzales is due for something great, because Gonzales is due for greatness, Gonzales is also due for something wonderful,” Gonzales resident Isaac Anzaldua said. “Our kids deserve this. Our children, your grandchildren relying on you in this room today — they're relying on you right now to make the vote to put them ahead.”

GHS teacher Billy Holifield agreed with Anzaldua that this not just for the district, or the people attending the meeting, but it is for the children of Gonzales.

“If we don't put our focus on those kids, then we've missed the boat completely. It's all about them. It's not about the board members, I love them. They do a great job. It's not about that man sitting right there, or any of the teachers or administrators in here,” Holifield said.

Holifield added that the high school principal Jonathan Basha has developed a mantra and it is said in every announcement.

“The one thing that you will hear every day, the last words that you'll hear in every announcement is ‘guys remember, we love you. We love you. We love you.’ Bunch of those kids don't hear that at home, but they hear it at the high school every day,” Holifield said.

“And I see a bunch of people in here shaking their heads, like you kind of believe that, too. Well, if you believe it, then put up. It’s the only way to go,” Holifield added.

Holifeild closed it out, saying the children have “hopes and the dreams and the desires,” but community has to do everything else for them.

One of the big concerns is space within the high school, said CTE Coordinator Jennifer Ervin, who oversees culinary,Ag programs, cosmetology and graphic design. She expressed concerns of not having enough room for students.

“We have exploded, mainly in our Ag building. Those of us that went to school here, it hasn't changed. We are currently, literally, every day, I'm working with my two welding instructors trying to figure out how are we going to serve 95 students a day in that welding building,” Ervin said.

Ervin added they are not going to kick out students, nor change the schedule, and are trying to figure it out.

“We have managed to do great things through CTE in the past few years but we are running out of room. At some point, we will have to turn students away,” Ervin said.

Retried educator Dwight MacAlister said of the current spaces in the current high school that when he arrived in 2004, the high school was out of room.

“We've been in portable buildings since that time, Dr. Strozier. And the board, in the past, have done all they can with what money that was available. We’ve got to quit thinking about it's either academics or athletics. We've waited long enough, we need to do a whole thing and get on with it,” MacAlister said.

GHS alumni Kasey Butler had a different approach for the bond — instead of focusing on both the high school and athletic complex, the district should prioritize on the school first, then later the athletic complex.

“Not that we don't need the athletic complex, but it would be wonderful and great. And I do think that it reflects our town and Gonzales. But as Miss Ervin said, we have added so many different opportunities for kids to use these skills after high school, they can go to cosmetology school, they can get welding,” Butler said.

Butler mentioned the Ag building and suggested people go see it.

“While I do think that the athletic portion of it is important, personally, I feel like the education should take priority and that should be our number one goal,” Butler concluded.