FAQs

A school bond election gives registered voters an opportunity to vote on paying for the construction and renovation of school facilities. It is a request to give the Board of Trustees authority to sell bonds. Just as homeowners borrow money in the form of a mortgage to finance the purchase of a home, a school district borrows money in the form of bonds to finance construction, renovation and other capital projects. Both are repaid over time, but in order for a school district to issue bonds, it must go to the voters for approval.

The sale of bonds begins with an election to authorize a specific amount. The school district sells them as municipal bonds when funds are needed for capital projects - usually once or twice a year. Bids are taken from interested buyers, usually large institutional investors - and are sold at the lowest interest rate offered. The rate is based on the district's bond rating - the higher the bond rating, the lower the interest rate to sell bonds. Principle and interest on the bonds are repaid over an extended period with funds from the Debt Service tax rate.

Proceeds from a bond can be used for the construction and renovation of facilities, the acquisition of land and the purchase of capital items such as equipment. By law, bond funds cannot be used for district operating expenses such as salaries, utilities, etc.

A growing tax base is directly related to the reason we need a bond. A big part of the reason we have a growing tax base is the increase in our student enrollment, new housing and commercial development that goes along with residential development.  

School funding is divided into parts called funds: Maintenance and Operations Fund (M&O) that pays for the daily operations of the school district. The majority of this funding pays for teachers and other staff salaries. This funding does not cover the cost of building new schools, renovating existing schools and purchasing land for new school sites. The other part of school funding is: Debt Service Fund (Interest and Sinking or I&S) that pays for new facilities, land and other capital assets that are not funded by Maintenance and Operations.

A bond is the way for a school district to ask voters for approval to borrow money to build and renovate schools, purchase land and other capital assets that have a multi-year life and cost more than materials used for daily operations. This bond is repaid with the revenue collected in the Debt Service Fund.

A bond authorization specifies the amount of bonds the district is authorized by the voters to sell. Bond sales may occur over a period of time with the date and amount of each sale determined by the Board of Trustees on an as needed basis after approval by the voters.

The Emergency Operations Center will not be a new facility, but rather an existing space that will be modified to accommodate three persons. The space will be outfitted with a video wall to actively monitor video cameras throughout the district. The EOC will also serve as a place to manage district emergencies.

Extending the Wi-Fi beyond the exterior of the building allows for several things. First, from a safety and security perspective, our law enforcement partners have access to our camera systems. Being able to access this system from outside of the building helps in case there is ever an issue where they need to be able to see inside the building. In addition, whenever the building is evacuated, teachers access our emergency management program via an online app to account for students and communicate with admin and first responders. Having the outdoor Wi-Fi helps ensure connectivity. Finally, most of our campuses have outdoor learning areas where students can work. Extending the Wi-Fi allows them to access the network.

Middle School #9 will be in the planned Mayfair development, located off I-35 north. This campus will provide relief for Canyon Middle School.

The work at Canyon Lake High School includes complete removal and replacement of bleachers, press box, and ramps. Concrete work below the new bleachers and any new walkways. Also included is the removal and replacement of the lighting system and associated wiring as the existing lights will be in the way of the new bleachers. Work will be required to satisfy TCEQ requirements.

The work at Davenport High School includes the expansion of the bleachers, additional ramps, and additional concrete work related to the expansion.

The proposed field house budget makes up the majority of the prop B budget. Based on previous work done in the area, soil conditions will require substantial preparation and excavation and preparation of the existing soil and that the building be designed with a structured foundation and mud slab. This building will require substantial plumbing and HVAC work due to the number of showers and restrooms in the facility. 

Also included in the project costs is a budget for furniture and equipment to fit out the building, as well as fees related to permitting, architectural and/or engineering design fees, soils testing, and materials testing during construction.

The relief campus for JRES is projected to open in Aug. 2025.

The current bleachers (home and visitors) hold approximately 3,500 spectators. The new bleachers will accommodate 5,000.

If approved, taxpayers in Comal ISD will not see a tax rate increase as a result of this bond. 

There is no cost to the district until the bonds are sold. Even though the voters approve the bond issue, costs are not incurred until the bonds are sold.

No. The state freezes taxes on resident homesteads the year a taxpayer turns 65, as long as the appropriate homestead exemption is on file with the county appraisal district and the homeowner remains in the same residence and does not make major improvements.

Maintenance and Operations revenue is used for day-to-day operations - salaries, supplies, utilities, insurance, fuel, etc. Debt Service revenue can only be used to pay principle and interest on issued bonds.

In 2019, the state legislature passed a new law requiring school districts to include the language “THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE”, even when the district is not expecting a rate increase. This is because the issuance of new bonds increases the term of the debt repayment at the current rate. The 2023 bond will not impact the tax rate, but will elongate the repayment term at its current rate of 35 cents.

Comal ISD’s tax base is determined by local property values, which are determined by the county appraisal district. Since property values have gone up, the district can afford to issue bonds to address growth and aging conditions at our campuses. If all propositions in the 2023 bond are approved, Comal ISD will not need to call for another bond until 2027.

While property values have been going up, Comal ISD’s tax rate has been going down. In the last ten years, the Comal ISD tax rate has decreased by 17 cents. CISD is committed to continuing our legacy of fiscal responsibility by only acquiring debt that can be paid off with the current I&S tax rate of $0.35 so as to avoid placing any extra burden on taxpayers.

Planning for the district’s current and future needs is one of the fundamental duties of school boards and district administrators. As such, there is a constant evaluation of facilities and other needs in light of the age of district-owned structures, changes in technology, and even changes in instruction. When the district determines that it has needs beyond the capacity of the maintenance and operations budget, the Board may issue a bond. The maintenance and operations budget covers the day-to-day expenses of the district, where 81% is spent on staff salaries and benefits. The Texas Education Agency in the Financial Integrity Ratings System of Texas (Schools FIRST Rating) sets the guideline for school districts to have three months of operating expenditures in fund balance. Maintaining the required fund balance as well as the operational needs of the district (with limited state funding) often restricts districts from building adequate savings to fund facilities and infrastructure needs to accommodate construction costs of building a new facility or repairing and renovating an older one.

There is no tax rate increase with this bond proposition, either collectively or individually. For there to have been a tax rate increase, the total amount of the bond propositions would have to surpass $650 million. That said, it is important to point out that appraisal value increases may impact an individual's tax bill, but that is separate from the tax rate, which is directly impacted by the bond.

The current tax rate that is dedicated to paying off bonded debt is $0.35. This tax rate has been at $0.35 since 2014, during which time the district has passed three elections in 2015, 2017 and 2021. This $0.35 tax rate will generate enough revenue to not only continue to pay for bonded debt from the previous bond issues but will also pay for the bonds related to this election. 

Anyone who is a registered voter and lives within the Comal ISD district boundaries is eligible to vote in this election.

Voter registration applications are available in most government buildings and are available at all CISD campuses. To vote in the May 2023 election, your voter registration application must be postmarked by April 6.

To see if you’re registered, click here https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do

In 2021, we followed the current guidance from the Attorney General stating that all athletic bond projects were required to be separate. However, this year, we received updated guidance from the Attorney General that allows the district to now include those same projects in the general prop (Prop A). 

The district is looking at options regarding this topic, however, the way that personnel would be paid for would not be from bond funds. Per state law, bond funds can only be used for capital projects, such as the ones that are listed in the bond proposal. Anything to do with personnel, i.e., armed security, would need to come out of the district's maintenance and operations budget.

The tax rate for paying bonded debt is $0.35 and will stay at this rate with the passage of this bond. The language on the ballot about this being a tax increase is required to be on the ballot per state law, regardless of the actual impact on taxes. 

You are able to cast a vote on each of the propositions individually. 

We are currently in the process of identifying the site for Elem. #21. Although we won't be releasing information about the location of the site until after the purchase is completed, we do know that it will be somewhere within the current BBES attendance zone.

The tax rate that is dedicated to paying off bonded debt is currently $0.35, and has been at this rate since 2014. Since then, the district has passed three bond elections and that $0.35 tax rate has not increased. The reason for this is that as new properties on Comal ISD are added to the tax rolls, and appraisal values grow, that $0.35 tax rate generates more revenue. As such, our projections show that the current debt service rate will stay at $0.35 even with the additional debt associated with this bond.