THE SPECTATOR: BRENHAM ISD BOND ELECTION

  

Early voting has begun for Brenham ISD’s $153.9 million bond election.  Like most people, my first reaction when I heard that figure was “that’s a lot of money”!  Do we really need to build a new junior high school to replace the one built as a high school in 1964?  Without a doubt that answer is a resounding “YES”.

If you’ve taken one of the campus tours offered by the school district over the past month you have seen the cracks in the walls…the water damage…the crooked walls.  Even if you didn’t take a tour you’ve probably seen the photos and videos posted online by concerned parents and citizens.  Water running through the ceilings…water running down the auditorium floors…sand bags against the base of a leaking wall.  They are truly disgusting, and I can’t believe our kids are going to class there.

I get it!  No one wants to pay higher taxes, including me.  The committee of our peers who worked for months to come up with a plan for this bond issue…they will also be paying higher taxes.  Do you really think they added a lot of “fluff” to the bond so their taxes would go up even more?  It’s been argued that now is not the time to build anything due to the increased cost of construction.  But when was the last time you remember construction costs going down?  The value of my house on my home insurance policy has certainly never gone backwards.  You might also ask yourself what other school districts in Texas still hold classes in a 58 year old building.  I doubt there are very many.  It’s time to build a new junior high school in Brenham.

If you have questions about what’s in the bond issue I encourage you to listen to Superintendent Dr. Tylor Chaplin’s presentation on KWHI’s BISD Roundtable Show from last Thursday, April 21st.  Dr. Chaplin explained everything better than anyone I’ve heard, and answered all of my questions.  You can find that program on our website, kwhi.com by clicking on podcasts on the information button at the top of the homepage.  If you become informed, I believe you’ll also agree that the time has come to build a new Brenham Junior High.

And that’s the way it looks to this Spectator.

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26 Comments

  1. I would like to thank the Spectator and KWHI for the opportunity to write an open opinion and to have a platform to respectfully debate issues. The Brenham Independent School District’s (BISD) 153.9 million dollar bond election is certainly worth taking the time to understand. This is the tax payer’s opportunity to vote for or against an infrastructure debt and a tax increase that will definitely affect your wallet. I can understand and respect both sides of the argument to support or not support this bond election.
    When I drove to the court house annex to early vote I was still unsure as to how I was going to vote. I am very familiar with this entire process of the BISD bond elections. I and many others created a Political Action Committee to help support BISD back in 2012 to pass a 26 million dollar bond election to build a new Alton Elementary and to renovate the Brenham Middle School. Ten years ago on May 12, 2012 the voters passed the Bond with 78% of the voters in favor.
    I would argue that most people support BISD and their efforts to educate our children. I would also argue that very few people want to see their taxes go up, including myself. The Brenham Junior High School did not just need to be replaced overnight. This school has needed to be replaced for many years now. One might reasonably speculate that if the BISD would have acted five years earlier to build a new junior high and the other improvements needed, that we may only have spent 100 million dollars. If this logic is plausible might it be reasonable to think that if we wait another five years to sell bonds for these same improvements that we will be looking at a 200 million dollar bond election? I agree with the Spectator, I do not see construction cost going down.
    Ultimately, my wife and I made the difficult decision to vote in favor of the BISD 153.9 million dollar bond, because we believe that it is a need, and that if we do not pass it now it will cost us all more later. I would also add that the BISD Superintendent Dr. Tylor Chaplin has done an excellent job of educating the public about the challenges we all face and has offered some creative multipurpose solutions to reduce costs.
    Please exercise your right to vote no matter what side of the issue you decide to support.
    Best regards,
    Jerry Homan

  2. It’s infuriating to read some of these comments. It’s like going car shopping with your child.
    You want to discuss prices and features (have an adult conversation with the salesperson), and all the kid can do is beg for the coolest car available and pout that you didn’t already write the check.
    We’re arguing 2 different points. I know you need a school I want to buy you a school. But we need to find a school we can afford, and what we can do to put you in a school today.
    I don’t believe that the price isn’t going to go down. Watch it when this behemoth fails.
    Almost as infuriating: Those saying we should not build a new school because we didn’t maintain the current one. Those people obviously did not attend that school in the 80’s. If we borrowed your time machine went back to correct the issues, we would have to go pre-construction. No two ways about it.

    1. It’s true that voters haven’t really been given much to go on about the quality of the new school. I haven’t seen any concept art at all. Burton gave some renderings and a site plan. I’d think that it would look similar to our other schools and none of those are palatial, but a picture is worth a thousand words and may have helped voters grasp just how much or I’m fact just how little $154 million buys them in 2022 prices.

      1. Yes Burton sent out detail maps and drawings of the schools and what everything would be like once built. They also detailed what all of the money was going to. Sent it out to every property owner in the district.
        I’m not against the new school, I’m against the huge unexplained amount.
        Burton basically is doing a total group up including stadium for less that one building is costing in brenham?

    2. We can debate the maintenance issue forever. Having been in the Facilities Management Business for over 40 years I know buildings can be kept in good shape. Sometimes it very challenging and expensive but it’s better than not doing it and having to build new ones. Bottom line is this one wasn’t maintained and now the cost of not doing so is dumped on Tax Payers. But this proposed cost is well over $400/sq ft. That’s ridiculous. Get something designed that is reasonable. By the way…a huge portion of those allowed to vote don’t pay the taxes used to fund this. Another stupid government policy…discuss that another time!!

      1. That is a misconception shared by quite a few folks. Those who rent homes or apartments do not pay a tax bill directly to taxing entities. Their landlord who owns the property does. However, those taxes are part of the monthly rental paid by renters. As taxes increase, so do rental rates.

  3. Additional point I would like to make regarding Jr. High, if it has all this mold, and unsafe, and raining on childrens heads no A/C on and on how are both the building inspector and health inspector allowing these building to be continued to be used.
    Anyone have answers? Truly thinking about kitchen facilities, mold where the children eat?

    Any insight anyone please respond.

    1. Have you been on a school tour? I’m guessing the answer is no. No one is condemning the school tomorrow but the kids and teachers deserve better. Here is your insight: I see this as an opportunity because I see the faces of the kids who would benefit from the improvements. You see money and problems. It is a lot of money and the school district does need to be accountable and they know it but I’m willing to be part of the solution not just point out problems.

  4. Just a simple question. 154 million divided by number of taxpayers equal? One more question. What’s the interest rate on 154 million per month? Lots of money not so many people to pay. Lots of alternative ways to deal with this problem. How much is that per student? I am always very cautious of an agenda that is in a hurry like do it now before it’s to late. It’s your last chance. It’s very obvious maintenance of that JR Hi was not anyone s priority but a new one well you make that call voter.

  5. I totally agree Brenham needs a new Jr. High School. My granddaughter went there years ago, and I could not believe that Brenham did not have a better facility for their students. It smelled inside like mold and I bet it has asbestos somewhere in the building. The ceilings are very low and parts of it is like a dungeon. My first thought was it’s a death trap if there is ever a fire. I do believe they need to go back to the drawing board and cut some of the cost.

  6. What I don’t understand is I try to save a portion of money for various things I know I will need in the future. Car maintenance, home maintenance, clothes for the kids, vacation expense etc. I set up different envelopes for different reasons with a dollar value written that must be placed in this envelope per 2 weeks or monthly. I just write down the amount on an index card and place in bank. That means I have A LIMIT on spending for these things !

    Why has the school district put back so much in ENVELOPE SAVINGS for the things they would need in the future.

    I believe that ALL schools will be virtual over time and do not need new buildings, and on and on. Redistribute the kids in the schools we have and it will be just fine.

    Primary (pre-k – 2nd), elementary (3-5), Jr. High(6-8) and high school (9-12).

    This article just REMINDED TO GO VOTE !
    NO. Leaving now !

  7. I’m not against the new junior high I just don’t want our tax dollars wasted on some magnificent exterior like our police station. The new one should be constructed in a way it could be added onto in the future.

  8. New building will not help teachers teach better. Will not aid in helping the children learn anymore. Just teaches them that you can tax the citizens more and more in order to get what you want instead of compromising for what you actually need. New is not always better.

    1. That is a reasonable response to this overpriced wish list.
      Needs and wants, as your primary school teacher should have taught you.
      We need much, but can’t always get it when it is needed, or wanted. That is called life.
      I would bet good money that most of the people who are blindly for this bond are also either leasing, or have a payment plan on a very expensive new vehicle less than 4 years old. Poor personal financial choices and management does mean that you are the one to decide on major, real life issues, that affect us all. TOO MUCH AT ONCE. NOT THE RIGHT TIME.
      Simple.
      Vote NO!!!

      1. That’s funny, I would’ve guessed that it was the people that are over-leveraged or operating on thin margins that were more likely to be opposed to this since it would hurt them the most.

    2. MS- Your statement is inaccurate and well as misinformed. Could you teach students while rain is streaming from the ceiling? How about writing on your board as it bows out into a hallway? Or what about when there is no A/C or window to open on the 95-degree days? Do you know how hard it is to actually keep kids’ attention on a regular day in a sufficient classroom? Much less with it raining on them inside! When you spend time in the classroom, you may gain some insight.
      As for your statement regarding our police station and the “magnificent exterior”, it also is inaccurate. While I don’t find it “magnificent” in any way, I do think it is tasteful and looks well kept. There is nothing about it that is “magnificent”. It’s actually pretty minimal. Some brick, stairs, concrete… the same basic ingredients of most municipal buildings.

  9. I do want to make a comment here. Prices can and do go down. Does anyone remember what happened to real estate prices in the late 80’s with the collapse in oil prices and the S&L debacle? Prices precipitously crashed and contractors also had to run on slim margins (i.e. lower construction costs) to compete with the price declines on existing housing. To imply that prices cannot come down is is not being factual. In the face of what appears to be some signifcant and rapid fed interest rate hikes, anything is possible, including a recession and rapid cooling of the housing markets which would in turn depress construction and demand on materials. Need to look at the whole picture here.

  10. I’m sorry Tom I don’t agree with the age of the building being a major player as to why we need a new Jr High. Lack of Maintenance contributes to a lot of reasons why things have to either be replaced or repaired. How old is the courthouse in downtown? How old is your building that you are currently running KWHI out of? Oh wait! How about investigating the age of all the courthouses in Texas… or maybe the White House in DC? Do you perform maintenance on your house? When you happen to have a water leak do you just throw down some sand bags and hope that will repair the problem or do you have it fixed? You have it fixed!!! Maybe, just maybe there needs to be an adjustment of the powers that be with the school board, the maintenance department, and district. Pay to either provide the supplies, tools, and knowledge to make repairs or put out for bid to hire a competent vendor that knows how to preserve the buildings we currently pay taxes for at one of the highest rates across the Nation. Ask if there are already maintenance issues with the remodeled middle school and the new Alton Elementary, and they are new schools. You may be surprised as to the answer. Everything has to receive proper maintenance in order to operate effectively. It’s a heck of a lot more profitable for a construction company to do new construction than remodel. And also a heck of a lot quicker.
    Wants VS needs is how it looks to me.

    1. I’m sorry MS…you cannot compare homes or courthouses or commercial buildings to a school. Schools have hundreds of kids in them every day, 5 days a week and at least 9 months out of the year. Very different from a family living in house, my staff using the radio station, or people visiting a courthouse. The Junior High was constructed as a bomb shelter, with half of it underground. That is why they are having such an issue with water coming into it. You need to listen to KWHI’s BISD Round Table program from April 21st as I suggested in my article. The Superintendent explains the issues with the current school.

      1. Required maintenance is a necessity no matter the size of building, home, or public facility. There are several public buildings across the nation that have been properly maintained over the years that are older than our Jr High and are still being used to this day. How old is the the community ed building on Market street? You know, the old old high school. I went to middle school there and it is still being used to this day is it not? We are all still paying tax dollars for that one too.
        I have listened to the round table, I just don’t agree with everything that has been presented. A difference of opinion doesn’t make either one of us wrong. I just don’t think that building a brand new school and getting rid of a piece of history is the answer. I believe that it is salvageable that all.

        1. Go take a tour or watch the videos and look at the photos….then tell me what you think. The old high school on Market Street was not built half underground.

      2. Everyone has valid points. The attention getter is the $153,900,000.00 million dollars that is willing to be spent.
        I’ve seen a lot of very nice buildings built for 25-30 million dollars. The main impact for most people is the tax increase. When do we start working smarter and not harder? This creates community stress financially. Then people move away because they can’t afford to live in this community. What will brenham have after that ?

    2. Before the new Brenham elementary school was built, BISD didn’t maintain the old building. All the Years my daughter attended the roof leaked. Teachers had large tash cans all over the room. Building new buildings is not the big issue, maintenance is. How long would your house last if you did no maintenance. Could you afford to tear it down and rebuild over and over again because you failed to maintain it? Why pay for new schools if the district has no intention to maintain them. You’ll just be tearing them down and rebuilding again.

  11. Thank you, Spectator, well said! The NEED is only going to increase, and the price isn’t going to go down. We must act now to build a better future for our students!

    1. Where is the building inspection/engineering report and cost estimates to remediate BJHS building deficiencies? If it costs more to remodel current building than to build new, then I’m all for building new, but it sounds like people just want a new building without being honest about the cost to remodel existing building.

      The district is using $373 per sqft to build a new a building in the proposed bond. The existing main building is approximately 100k sqft…so unless it costs more than $37 million to renovate why abandon it?

      I understand that we need more square footage than existing main building, ELA wing, and Science Wing offer, so why don’t we add another wing on the campus.

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