The district held the first in a series of community meetings Tuesday evening at Twin Creeks Middle School to inform members of the Spring ISD community about the district’s proposed $850 million bond referendum, which will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot for Spring ISD voters.
“We’re very excited to be able to share information regarding and related to the November bond election with our community,” said Executive Chief of District Operations Mark Miranda, “and we hope everyone who attends will come away with a better understanding of what’s on the ballot.”
The ballot measure, which is divided into three propositions – A, B, and C – is focused on districtwide safety/security and high-priority maintenance, technology upgrades, and facilities needs. It includes the rebuilding of Spring High School; the construction of a districtwide education, performance and instructional facility that would also serve as a reunification site for emergencies; and renovations for several campuses, including Westfield High School and Reynolds and Jenkins elementary schools.
Additional details can be found on the 2022 Spring ISD Bond website.
During the meeting at Twin Creeks, Miranda talked through each proposition, explaining the effects they would have and how each measure on the ballot would ultimately impact every campus and student across the district. He also provided an overview of the expected tax impact for area residents, explaining that the lowering of the 2022 property tax rate that was recently approved by the Spring ISD Board of Trustees is projected to offset the tax increase if the bond measure passes.
Among the parents attending the meeting was Shayla White, who has two students in the district, a junior at Spring High School and a sixth-grader who just started at Twin Creeks.
“As the parent of a high school student and a middle school student, I felt that I should be involved and get an insight on what these bonds are for and what they entail,” White said, “for the future of my children and other children that are in our community.”
Also in attendance was Twin Creeks parent Nicoleta Sucacin. With eight children enrolled in Spring ISD across the elementary, middle and high school levels, Sucacin said she does her best to stay involved and informed – including about the current bond measure.
“I’ve been wanting to know more about it, because it’s going to affect me as a parent,” Sucacin said, adding that she was especially excited about the education, performance and instructional center that falls under the bond’s Proposition B. She said that she believes the bond propositions contain elements that would positively impact her children’s education.
“I think it’s going to be good for the community, and good for us,” Sucacin said, “so we just have to wait and see how it goes.”
The kickoff community meeting also brought out several members of the 2022 Bond Steering Committee, including former Westfield High School Principal Dr. Julie Guillory, who still lives in the district and served on the steering committee as a representative of the community.
“As a taxpayer, I think it’s important to see expansion and growth and academic opportunities for our kids,” said Guillory, who spent 25 years working in Spring ISD. “They deserve what we didn’t have, and more.”
Since the conclusion of the Bond Steering Committee process, Guillory has been working with other committee members in spreading the word and informing voters about the potential effects should the bond measure pass. According to both Guillory and Miranda, informing and engaging district stakeholders is at the heart of the current series of meetings.
“It’s important for us to be transparent with what we’re putting on the ballot, and to be able to answer questions so that we have a two-way dialogue – so that there’s a conversation with the district and the community,” Miranda said, “and this gives us the opportunity to have that conversation.”
All informational meetings will include a presentation followed by a Q&A session. Attendees can also submit questions after each meeting that will be used to further update the bond website’s Frequently Asked Questions with additional information in the weeks leading up to Election Day.
The dates and locations of the remaining 2022 Bond Community Meetings are:
- Monday, Oct. 10 – 6 p.m.
Online via Zoom
Join link at https://bit.ly/3yRvq35 - Thursday, Oct. 13 – 6 p.m.
Claughton Middle School
3000 Spears Road Houston, TX 77067 - Monday, Oct. 17 – 6 p.m.
Wells Middle School
4033 Gladeridge Dr. Houston, TX 77068 - Thursday, Oct. 20 – 6 p.m.
Roberson Middle School
12430 Veterans Memorial Dr. Houston, TX 77014 - Friday, Oct. 21 – 11:30 a.m.
Online via Facebook Live
Join at Facebook.com/SpringISD