Voters strongly approve Georgetown ISD's $649.5M bond, three schools will be built

Georgetown school district voters on Saturday overwhelmingly approved a $649.5 million bond package to build new schools, renovate aging facilities and update technology for the 13,000-student district.

"The passage of all four propositions of the 2024 Bond is a testament to our community's commitment to our students' success,” Superintendent Devin Padavil said in a news release Saturday night after the election results were finalized.

“With this crucial funding, we are well-positioned to accommodate the growth of our district and provide our students with resources to support their growth and achievement."

The cost to property tax payers for the bond package is estimated to be a maximum of $2.77 per month for the average homeowner in the district, according to the news release. It is the largest bond package ever approved for the district, officials said.

Proposition A received the most support from voters who approved the $597.47 million proposal for new elementary, middle and high schools; school security; land acquisition for school facilities; reconfiguring a middle school to house Frost Elementary; and school bus purchases. Proposition A received 5,689 votes, or 70%, with 2,460 voters, or 30%, against the measure.

The new elementary and middle schools will be built on district-owned property at Patriot Way and Texas 130, the news release said. The new high school will be constructed on district-owned property along DB Wood Road south of Cedar Breaks Road. 

Some of the bonds will be used to reconfigure the former Benold Middle School as a new facility for Frost Elementary students. The current Frost Elementary is overcrowded with no room to expand, the school's principal has said.

Proposition B — a $20.33 million proposal for districtwide technology upgrades — received 5,488 votes in favor, or 67% support, with 2,655 voters, or 33%, opposing it. The money will help pay for improvements to cybersecurity and to replace or repair student and staff devices.

Voters also approved Proposition C — a $27.85 million package for a new performing arts facility at East View High School, for updates to equipment and uniforms, and to address aging conditions at the Klett Performing Arts facility and Black Box Theater at Georgetown High School. The measure received 5,100 votes in support, or 63%, compared with 3,031 votes in opposition, or 37%.

Proposition D also drew voters' approval. It will provide $3.86 million for track repairs at Georgetown High, and for a field house and locker room expansion at East View High. Sixty-one percent of voters, or 4,929 votes, were for the measure, compared with 39%, or 3,200 votes, against it.

Construction of new facilities could begin as soon as this fall, with new schools opening in two to four years, according to the news release. 

The school district is expected to provide regular updates on the progress of all bond projects through its website, stakeholder meetings and school board meetings. Residents can also stay informed on the bond package's progress by visiting georgetownisd.org/bond.

The Georgetown school district is projected to enroll more than 6,000 additional students in the next 10 years, the release said. The projects approved in the 2024 bond package will accommodate 4,400 of the students in the projected increase, according to the district. 

The district grew 13.5% in five years — from 11,508 students in the 2017-18 school year to 13,063 in the 2022-23 year, according to Texas Education Agency data.

With a 14.4% growth rate, Georgetown was the fastest-growing U.S. city of more than 50,000 people from July 2021 to 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

More:Georgetown ISD seeks $649.6M bond for new schools, facility upgrades, equipment

The last time the district had a bond election was in 2021, when voters approved $349.9 million of the district's $381.7 million in proposed bonds. Voters said yes in 2021 to new schools and technology upgrades but rejected a swim center and other extracurricular-related projects.