CBS 19 - The Eye of East Texas News - TISD Puts $125 Million Bond on Ballot

TISD Puts $125 Million Bond on Ballot

By Hayley Wielgus

The Tyler Independent School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to call a November school bond election.

In 2004, Tyler voters approved a $95.9 million bond to rebuild schools.

TISD officials said they hope the success of those projects will convince residents to vote "yes" on the upcoming bond.

"We do hope that they will remember what happened these last 4 years and will trust us again with this bond package of almost 125 million," TISD Board of Trustees President Ron Vickery said.

Vickery said he believes the district did earn voters trust after successfully rebuilding seven elementary schools.

"The buildings were built on time and they were built under budget and there have been a lot of improvements we've seen in the learning environments," he said.

Vickery said he hopes the legacy of those projects will prompt residents to vote for school bond November 4. 

"I'm very confident that the voters will support us," he said.  "I think this is a great need as we try to address these educational needs of our students."

But TISD will have compete with the $60 million Smith County jail bond, which will appear on the same ballot.

Former Tyler Mayor Joey Seeber is co-chairing a "Vote Yes" committee for the school bond, which he said will stand on its own merits.

"The voters will look at each of them individually and if they're worthy of support then they will support them," Seeber said.

If the school bond passes, residents would begin to see property tax increases in 2010.

It is projected the increase would be just less than 17 cents per $100 valuation, which would make the projected maximum tax rate less than 35 cents.  The increase would decline each year through 2014.

TISD officials said the projected increase would raise property taxes by about $200 dollars on a $135,000 dollar home.