BURTON ISD PREPARES TO CALL BOND ELECTION
On Monday, the Burton School Board plans to call a bond election for this fall, asking voters to help Burton ISD fund an estimated $43.8 million in improvements across the district.
As district enrollment continues to climb, hitting 514 students on Wednesday – in comparison to 476 students at the end of this past school year, Superintendent Dr. Edna Kennedy says having enough space for students and teachers has become a major concern. The potential bond seeks to remedy this with new and updated classrooms and facilities to accommodate growth, address aging school buildings and improve safety and security.
In 2016, a similar bond proposal valued at $18 million was rejected by voters by a tally of 556 against, 389 in favor. Dr. Kennedy says many of the district’s needs then have now become more urgent.
(courtesy Burton ISD)
Specifically, the bond would allow for the addition of classrooms and renovation of existing classrooms to meet Texas Education Agency (TEA) specifications, conversion of the elementary school gym into a band hall and practice rooms, renovation of the cafeteria and kitchen, an enclosed connection for district buildings, a new competition gym, new weight room and locker rooms, a new athletic complex featuring a 900-seat stadium and 8-lane track, and various site and drainage improvements.
Dr. Kennedy calls the upgrades that would be funded in this bond measure “extremely important” and says without them, the district would be put into a difficult situation.
Over the past 18 months, the board has researched the age and condition of district facilities through a comprehensive facility assessment, while also analyzing growth patterns over the next five years.
The last bond passed by Burton ISD was in 2008, which funded the building of a new elementary school and gym, bus barn and the Ag Building.
The district was able to tackle several projects over the course of the summer break, including the installation of bathrooms in three pre-k and kindergarten classrooms, a new floor in the band portable building, a new walk-in freezer in the cafeteria, and other floor repairs, room renovations and routine maintenance.
More information on the bond proposal is available at www.burtonisd.net.