Natalia ISD Board calls for $10.7M bond election

The Natalia ISD School Board voted unanimously to call for a $10,725,000 bond election to be held on November 18.
The 25-year bond comes with an assumed 4.50 percent interest rate, based on assumed property values of $200,892,602 and a 96 percent tax collection rate.
According to Frost Bank’s Victor Quiroga, Jr., who is working with NISD on the bond, the annual impact to a $100,000 home with a net taxable value of $75,000 due to a $25,000 Homestead Exemption will be $23.78 a month, or $285.30 annually.
Homeowners with the Over-65 Homestead Exemption will not be impacted by the bond.
If passed, the bond will fund the construction of five new Natalia Junior High School classrooms, a new science and art area, as well as a new library, kitchen, combined Natalia Elementary School/NJHS cafeteria, NES playground, and covered play area. In addition, the current NJHS cafeteria will be converted into a Band Hall. New NJHS administration offices will also be built.
Plans also call for corridors to be built between the NES, the new construction, and the NJHS, enclosing the campuses and allowing for indoor foot traffic to pass from one campus to the other.
Additionally, bus drop-off for NJHS and NES will take place along 8th St. in front of those respective campuses. Parent drop-off will be in front of the new NJHS administration area, and 60 new parking spaces will be added.
Vehicular access to the NJHS gym, Ag. building, and the football, baseball, and softball fields via Pearson St. will be blocked off by the new construction, which will also eliminate a portion of the 80-spot parking lot in front of NJHS.
The current NJHS 6th grade wing, which includes the NJHS administrative offices, six classrooms, a science classroom, and a library, will be demolished.
The elementary gym will be renovated if there are remaining funds.
Construction on the project could begin as early as February 2019.
A more in-depth look at the bond and the August 13 Board meeting will be in next week’s edition of The Devine News.
By Marly Davis
Staff Writer