From January through May, a community advisory committee made up of about 60 parents, educators and other community members met to study the Waco ISD’s facilities. The committee toured campuses, reviewed the findings of a comprehensive facilities assessment conducted by outside experts, studied demographic projections, and discussed their priorities for students and how facilities play into them. Ultimately, the community advisory committee recommended the following projects prioritized in the following order:

• Replace Waco High with a new building in the same location,
• Replace G.W. Carver Middle with a new building in the same location large enough to also serve students zoned to attend Indian Spring Middle,
• Replace Tennyson Middle with a new building in the same location, and
• Replace Kendrick Elementary with a new building in the same location large enough to serve many of the students zoned to attend Alta Vista Elementary and renovate South Waco Elementary to serve the remaining students zoned to Alta Vista Elementary.

One of the members of the community advisory committee, Anna Clark Martinez, wrote about the committee's work in the Waco Tribune-Herald.

Throughout the summer, the school board reviewed the committee's recommendations, met with architects, received a briefing from the McLennan County Appraisal District's chief appraiser, and discussed the potential tax impact of a bond election with the district's financial advisor.

In August, the superintendent recommended that the school board seek voter approval to issue $355 million in bonds to fund the projects prioritized by the community advisory committee. (Her memo to the school board is here.) The school board voted unanimously to call a bond election for November 2, 2021.

The community advisory committee consisted of about 60 educators, parents and other community members. The meetings took place via videoconference and were streamed live online, so anyone could hear the discussion. A list of committee members can be found here.

The community advisory committee toured campuses, reviewed a comprehensive districtwide facilities assessment, heard from the district’s demographer and financial advisor, looked at attendance boundaries and transportation, and received extensive information from the district’s architects. Recordings of all the committee’s meetings as well as all the information that the committee reviewed can be found here.

Based on the work of the community advisory committee, the district's architects produced a Facilities Long-Range Master Plan for Waco ISD. This document includes a summary of the committee process and can be found here.

In 2019, Waco ISD contracted with Alpha Solutions to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the condition of all of the district's facilities. The process included identifying and documenting current and forecasted conditions of every facility owned by the district; identifying and documenting the remaining service life of major building systems (e.g., roofs; electrical; plumbing; and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning); and forecasting facility renewal requirements based on lifecycle analysis of existing systems over the span of the next 20 years for each facility.

They concluded that “facilities within the district were found to be in predominantly fair to poor condition. Many of the major building systems were observed to be deteriorated and have exceeded their... recommended useful life."

The executive summary report for the facilities condition assessment is available here.

In addition to assessing the current condition of facilities, the facilities assessment also projected the cost of maintenance for each building through 2034. (For example, HVAC equipment that is functioning adequately today might reach the end of its expected life cycle between now and 2034 adding to the projected costs over that time.)

The total projected maintenance cost through 2034 for the schools that are part of the proposed bond program was $198.1 million. That breaks down as follows:

• $75.3 million for Waco High,
• $26.0 million for G.W. Carver Middle*,
• $30.1 million for Indian Spring Middle,
• $26.6 million for Tennyson Middle,
• $10.2 million for Alta Vista Elementary,
• $16.0 million for Kendrick Elementary, and 
• $13.9 million for South Waco Elementary.

* Note that the maintenance estimate for G.W. Carver Middle was as of the fall of 2019/before the fire in July 2021.

These projected maintenance costs are to maintain the buildings as they are and do not not include any upgrades or renovations.

The total cost of the four new schools and renovations is estimated at $367.1 million. That breaks down as follows:

• $157.1 million for a new Waco High,
• $73.2 million for a new G.W. Carver Middle,
• $77.6 million for a new Tennyson Middle,
• $35.5 million for a new Kendrick Elementary, and
• $23.7 million for renovations at South Waco Elementary.

Following the fire at G.W. Carver Middle, the proposed bond amount was reduced to $355 million to account for an eventual insurance settlement.

New school buildings tend to have larger classrooms and more spaces for small group collaboration and instruction. New buildings also integrate modern technology and reflect changes in building codes. For example, fire sprinklers were not required when Alta Vista Elementary, G.W. Carver Middle, Indian Spring Middle, Kendrick Elementary, South Waco Elementary, Tennyson Middle and Waco High were built. As a result, only the performing arts center at Waco High has a sprinkler system. The rest of Waco High and the other schools do not have fire sprinklers, but those types of fire suppression systems will be included in newly constructed school buildings.

Waco ISD last held a bond election in May 2008 when voters approved issuing $172.5 million in bonds to fund the construction of four new schools: University High, Bell's Hill Elementary, Dean Highland Elementary and J.H. Hines Elementary. There were 3,664 voters who participated in that election, and the bond passed with 60.3% of the votes cast.

If voters approve issuing $355 million in bonds, $59.2 million of that amount would be used to replace Kendrick Elementary with a new, larger campus in the same location and to renovate and expand South Waco Elementary. Together, the two campuses would be large enough to serve the students currently zoned to attend those schools as well as those students zoned to attend Alta Vista Elementary, which would close when a new Kendrick Elementary opens.

Of the 463 students that attended Alta Vista Elementary last year, 205 lived in the area of the Alta Vista attendance zone that is west of I-35; 201 lived in the area east of I-35; and the remaining 57 lived outside the attendance zone. In the map below, students who attended Alta Vista last year are represented as yellow dots.

That hasn’t been decided yet and won’t be decided without public input.

If voters approve issuing bonds to fund the project in November, renovations could begin in June 2023 and be completed by August 2024.

If voters approve issuing bonds to fund the project in November, construction of a new Kendrick Elementary could begin in January 2024, and the new building could open as early as August 2025.

If voters approve issuing $355 million in bonds, $150.8 million of that amount would be used to build and equip new campuses for G.W. Carver and Tennyson middle schools in the same locations as the existing campuses. The new G.W. Carver Middle would be large enough to accommodate students currently zoned to both G.W. Carver and Indian Spring middle schools.

Not entirely. The cost of replacing G.W. Carver Middle with a new, larger campus will be significantly more than the eventual insurance settlement. The total cost of building and equipping the new campus is $73.2 million while the preliminary estimate of a replacement value for the old campus is $17 million. As a result of the anticipated insurance settlement, however, the total bond amount was reduced from $367.1 million to $355 million.

Roughly two months before the fire, the community advisory committee had already recommended replacing G.W. Carver Middle School with a new, larger building at the same site. However, as a result of the fire, the timeline was adjusted to design and build the new campus sooner. 

Following the fire at G.W. Carver Middle, the school board adjusted the timeline for the proposed bond projects with the goal of opening the new G.W. Carver Middle in August 2023. In order for that to happen, construction on the building needs to start in the spring of 2022, and much of the design work needs to be completed this fall.

At their monthly meeting on Oct. 28, the school board will consider approving the schematic design for the new G.W. Carver Middle. They will also consider the selection of a construction manager for the project.

In the map below, students who attended Indian Spring Middle last year are represented as yellow dots. The yellow and blue lines compare the routes that three students currently zoned to attend Indian Spring Middle would take to get to Indian Spring Middle and G.W. Carver Middle. For some students in the north/west corner of the Indian Spring attendance zone, G.W. Carver Middle is actually closer than Indian Spring Middle.

That hasn't been decided yet and won't be decided without public input. However, one possibility would be to convert it into an administration building with office space and training rooms for professional development.

Yes. There are more than 900 students enrolled at Tennyson Middle, but the school building itself only has space for 790 students. To make up the difference, the campus currently utilizes eight double portable buildings and four single portable buildings. The new building would be almost double the size in square feet  and would have capacity for 1,060 students.

Both new middle school campuses will have the same square footage (184,000 square feet), same capacity (1,060 students) and spaces to support the same programming. However, construction of the new Tennyson Middle will begin one year later than construction of the new G.W. Carver Middle. As a result, the cost for the new Tennyson Middle accounts for an additional year of cost increases.

If voters approve issuing bonds to fund the project in November, construction of a new G.W. Carver Middle could begin in April 2022, and the new building could open as early as August 2023.

If voters approve issuing bonds to fund the project in November, construction of a new Tennyson Middle could begin in January 2023, and the new building could open in August 2024.

The new Waco High will be built closer to New Road than the current building with a main entrance that faces Colcord Avenue. It will be a 370,000 square foot building with capacity for 2,150 students.

As part of the venue project with McLennan County and the City of Waco, the area between North 42nd Street and New Road that is currently home to the Lake Air Little League will become part of the Waco High campus. (The little league fields will move to the area north/west of Trice Avenue.) The district is also working with the city to close North 42nd Street between Colcord Avenue and Trice Avenue.

The site plan below provides an aerial view of what will become a continguous campus bordered by New Road, Colcord Avenue, North 44th Street and Trice Avenue.

In September, the school board approved the schematic design for the new Waco High. The design was developed with extensive input from current staff at Waco High and supports the same breadth and depth of academic programming currently available while bringing all of the instructional spaces under one roof. The floor plan and video below provide a more detailed look at the design for the new Waco High.

Building a high school is a lengthy project. It will take more than three years to build the new Waco High, and completing the schematic design before the bond election means that construction can start sooner if voters approve issuing bonds to fund the project. It also gives voters more information about the new school before they cast their ballots.

The new Waco High would be built in phases. If voters approve issuing bonds to fund the project in November, construction could begin in April 2022 with a first phase completed in June 2024 and the entire campus as soon as December 2025.

The diagrams below provide a more detailed look at how construction of the new Waco High would be phased.

School district property tax rates consist of two parts: a maintenance and operations rate that funds the day-to-day operations of schools and an interest and sinking rate that pays for bonds that have been issued to build schools and other facilities. Waco ISD's current maintenance and operations rate is $1.02440 per $100 of assessed valuation, and the district's current interest and sinking rate is $0.22024 per $100 of assessed valuation for a total tax rate of $1.24464 per $100 of assessed valuation.

For the average homeowner in Waco ISD with an asessed taxable value of $130,561, that results in a tax bill of $1,625.01 for the 2021-2022 fiscal year (or $135.42 per month).

This year, school board members voted to cut the property tax rate by about two cents compared to last year's rate, and the current rate is more than 16 cents lower than it was in 2018.

The chart below shows the district's property tax rate from 2012 through 2021.

Waco ISD currently has $141.4 million in outstanding bonds. The final repayment date for those existing bonds is in 2038.

Since 2013, Waco ISD has refunded its existing bonds five times saving taxpayers a total of $41.2 million.

The chart below shows the outstanding bond debt for school districts along the I-35 corridor from the Dallas-Fort Worth area to the Austin area with between 7,900 and 17,500 students. Of the 28 districts, Waco ISD currently has fifth smallest amount of bond debt.

The next chart shows the same group of districts ranked by the amount of outstanding bond debt per student. By this measure, Waco ISD has second smallest amount of bond debt.

Issuing $355 million in bonds is projected to increase the district’s interest and sinking tax rate by $0.1001 per $100 of assessed valuation. For the average homeowner in Waco ISD, that is approximately $130.69 per year (or $10.89 per month).

The chart below shows the projected tax impact over the 30-year period of the bonds.

In May 2008, voters approved issuing $172.5 million of bonds to fund the construction of four new schools. At the time, the district's financial advisor projected that issuing the bonds would increase Waco ISD's tax rate by $0.1971 per $100 of assessed valuation.

Following that election, the district's total property tax rate increased $0.19 from $1.16 per $100 of assessed valuation in the 2007-2008 fiscal year to $1.35 per $100 of assessed valuation in the 2008-2009 fiscal year. That rate was higher than either the current property tax rate or the projected property tax rate should voters approve issuing $355 million in bonds in the upcoming election.

Homeowners age 65 or older are eligible to have their school district property taxes "frozen." This means that their school district property taxes will not increase above the amount that they paid the year that they turned 65 unless they make significant improvements to their home (e.g., adding on a garage or game room).

Eligible homeowners need to complete a brief application. Apply online at mclennancad.org or call 254-752-9864 for assistance.

Anyone who registered to vote in Waco ISD no later than October 4, 2021, is eligible to cast a ballot in the bond election. You can check to see if you are registered to vote at VoteTexas.gov.

Early voting will take place from October 18-22, 2021 and October 25-29, 2021.

During early voting, registered voters in Waco ISD may vote at any of the following early voting sites:

• First Assembly of God Church (6701 Bosque Blvd, Waco)
• Hewitt City Hall/Library (200 Patriot Ct, Hewitt)
• McLennan County Elections Administration Office (214 N 4th St, Ste 300, Waco)
• Robinson Community Center (106 W Lyndale Ave, Robinson)
• Waco Multi-Purpose Community Center (1020 Elm Ave, Waco, TX 76704) 

Early voting sites will be open the following dates/times:

• October 18-22, 2021 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
• October 25-27, 2021 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and
• October 28-29, 2020 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 2, 2021.

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and registered voters in Waco ISD may vote at any of the following vote centers on Election Day:

• Axtell School Athletic Meeting Room (312 W Seley, Axtell)
• Bellmead Civic Center (3900 Parrish St, Waco)
• Bruceville-Eddy ISD Special Events Center (1 Eagle Dr, Eddy)
• Carver Park Baptist Church (1020 E Herring Ave, Waco)
• Cesar Chavez Middle School (700 S 15th St, Waco)
• Chalk Bluff Baptist Church (5993 Gholson Rd, Waco)
• China Spring ISD Administration Building (12166 Yankie Rd, China Spring)
• Crawford High School (200 Pirate Dr, Crawford)
• Dewey Community Center (925 N 9th St, Waco)
• Fellowship Bible Church (5200 Speegleville Rd, McGregor)
• First Assembly of God Church (6701 Bosque Blvd, Waco)
• H.G. Isbill Junior High (305 S Van Buren St, McGregor)
• Heart of Texas Council of Governments (1514 S New Rd, Waco)
• Hewitt First Baptist Church (301 S 1st St, Hewitt)
• Hewitt City Hall/Library (200 Patriot Ct, Hewitt)
• Lacy Lakeview Civic Center (505 E Craven Ave, Waco)
• Lake Shore United Methodist Church (3311 Park Lake Dr, Waco)
• Lorena First Baptist Church (307 E Center St, Lorena)
• Mart Community Center (804 E Bowie Ave, Mart)
• McLennan Community College Conference Center (4601 N 19th St, Waco)
• Moody First United Methodist Church (500 6th St, Moody)
• Riesel Junior High/High School (600 E Frederick St, Riesel)
• Robinson Community Center (106 W Lyndale Ave, Robinson)
• South Waco Library (2737 S 18th St, Waco)
• Speegleville Baptist Church (469 Speegle Rd, Waco)
• St. Louis Activity Center (2415 Cumberland Ave, Waco)
• Tennyson Middle School (6100 Tennyson Dr, Waco)
• University High School (3201 S New Rd, Waco)
• Waco Convention Center (100 Washington Ave, Waco)
• Waco High School Performing Arts Center (2020 N 42nd St, Waco)
• Waco Multi-Purpose Community Center (1020 Elm Ave, Waco)
• West Community Center (200 Tokio Rd, West)
• Woodway City Hall (922 Estates Dr, Woodway)
• Woodway First Baptist Church (13000 Woodway Dr, Woodway)

Any registered voter in Texas may vote by mail if they meet one of the following criteria:

• They are 65 years or older;
• They are disabled or unable to vote in person without needing personal assistance or harming their health;
• They expect to give birth during the three weeks leading up to or the three weeks following Election Day;
• They are out of the county during early voting and on Election Day (and provide a mailing address outside the county for their ballot to be sent to); or
• They are confined in jail or under involuntary civil committment but otherwise eligible.

October 22, 2021, is the last day to apply for a ballot by mail for the November 2, 2021 election. The application must be received (not postmarked) by the McLennan County Elections Administration Office by 5 p.m. on that date.

You can download and print an application form from the McLennan County Elections website. The completed application should be mailed to Early Voting Clerk, P.O. Box 2450, Waco, TX 76703-2450.

Applications for a ballot by mail can also be emailed to ballotbymail@co.mclennan.tx.us or faxed to 254-757-5041. However, for an emailed or faxed application to be accepted, the original application must also be mailed and received within four business days of the email or fax date.

If you have applied for a ballot by mail, you can check to see if your application has been received, if your ballot has been mailed out, and if your ballot has been received by visiting the McLennan County Elections website.

Texas requires voters to present one of the following "acceptable forms of photo ID":

• Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS);
• Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS;
• Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS;
• Texas Handgun License issued by DPS;
• United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph;
• United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph; or
• United States Passport (book or card).

With the exception of the U.S. Citizenship Certificate, which does not expire, for voters ages 18-69, the photo identification may not have expired more than four years before being presented. For voters age 70 and older, the photo identification may be expired for any length of time if it is otherwise valid.

For information on how to apply for a free Election Identification Certificate, please visit the Texas Department of Public Safety website.

If a voter does not have one of the forms of identification listed above and cannot reasonably obtain one, the voter can complete a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and provide one of the following supporting forms of ID:

• copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate;
• copy of or original current utility bill;
• copy of or original bank statement;
• copy of or original government check;
• copy of or original paycheck; or
• copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document).