HEB ISD proposes $1 billion bond to update aging schools

When the bell rings at Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD's L.D. Bell High School, the volley ball group heads to the locker space, modifications into their athletic clothes and walks past the gym to the double doors leading outside the school.

Without a court available for their practice, the group instead sets, spikes and serves on the school's tennis court.

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To resolve this and many other problems, including out-of-date school buildings, HEB ISD is seeking approval of a nearly $1 billion bond bundle in the upcoming Nov. 7 election.

" It's a size concern, it's an infrastructure issue," Deanne Hullender, primary public relations and marketing officer for the district, stated of 2 of the district's high schools.

The bond intends to replace the aging L.D. Bell and Trinity High School schools with brand-new centers, in addition to revamp a primary school designated to accommodate the alternative KEYS High School.

Early voting begins Oct. 23 and ends Nov. 3. The last day to sign up to vote is Oct. 10.

The tally presented to voters will include 2 propositions:

• Proposition A, which amounts to $979.3 million, is intended for brand-new facilities, consisting of new primary schools and high schools



• Proposition B, totaling up to $18 million, is directed toward updating technology.

Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD citizens will consider a $1 billion bond in an upcoming November election. If the voters see the bond through, this is a conceptual making of what L.D. Bell High School could look like. (Courtesy

HEB ISD's tax rate will be increased if voters authorize the bond. The rate will see incremental increases for 4 years, starting in 2024:

• 5 cents in 2024




7 cents in 2025



• 1 cent in 2027

Officials expect the rate to be 13.76 cents higher by 2027. The current rate is 92.11 cents per $100 of appraisal. The rate is expected to be $1.0587 in 2027.

While the tax rate will increase, it will still be lower than what HEB ISD imposed in 2022, which was $1.1098.

It's tough to figure out how many actual dollars the owner of an average home in the district will pay to HEB ISD in 2027. This is due to the fact that appraisal values aren't set that far ahead of time.

' Consider the possibilities'

In June of this year, a group of school board members and the facility planning job force advised the bond.

The bundle is designed to satisfy the future needs of the school district; Trinity High School, with its 11 structures and 78 exterior doors, doesn't satisfy updated state safety standards, Hullender said.

At the June center planning task force conference, Steve Farco, a committee member and a Bedford council member, told the school board that Trinity and L.D. Bell high schools were built in the Cold War age.

In 1978, Farco was a 5th grader at Bedford Heights Elementary, and the school was new. Now, it's aging terribly, he included. Last time Farco was there, he saw aged desks and paint removing walls.

The upgrades would benefit not just trainees, Farco said, but the whole Hurst-Euless-Bedford area that lies north of Fort Worth.

" DFW is the melting pot. Our cities are talking about redevelopment. ... We do not want to continue to let us weaken," he stated. "Consider the possibilities of what we could do with advanced schools ... consider the possibilities."

' A quality location'

Other members of the job force recounted their experiences checking out the aging schools, where they observed ductwork suspended from class ceilings at Trinity High School and experienced little, confined classrooms at Bell Manor Elementary.

High school science labs do not meet the Texas Education Agency requirements, and auditoriums aren't in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Trinity High School in Euless, constructed in 1969, is facing concerns like broken pipelines and structure problems, Hullender said.

Jeannette Cook, a member of the job force, was on a few of these trips.

" I was frightened, definitely frightened," stated Cook, who also kept in mind classrooms having startlingly loud cooling systems.

" Imagine taking a test and all of the sudden that loud noise comes on," she stated. "We require to supply our staff with a quality location to work and offer an excellent education for our kids."

The bond proposes replacing the 11 structures on the Trinity High School school through a phased technique and constructing a brand-new high school nearby to the current L.D. Bell center in Hurst, which was built in 1965.

Bell Manor Elementary would be remodelled to accommodate KEYS High School. A new school for Bell Manor Elementary would be built too.

Potential obstacle for bond approval

In May 2018, HEB ISD voters passed a $199 million bond that focused on the refurbishment of the district's middle school campuses. The bond passed with 71% of the vote.

In 2011, HEB ISD citizens approved 2 bond plans for $136.5 million. These allowed for constructing repair work, class technology upgrades and the moving of 2 buildings due to expansion of Texas State Highway 183..

In 1997, district citizens authorized a $170 million bond bundle that offered major technology upgrades and enabled significant restorations at nearly all schools.

Some bonds have actually had difficulties passing in other districts throughout Tarrant County.

Fort Worth ISD citizens authorized one proposition out of 4 in its proposed $1.5 billion bond in 2021.

Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD citizens rejected a $275 million bond in 2022. Now the district is asking citizens to approve a $659.1 million bond in November.

The challenges in getting bonds passed across Tarrant County stressed to HEB ISD the requirement to take notice of what citizens desire.

" We're listening to the moms and dads, we're listening to the neighborhood," Hullender said, confident that HEB ISD citizens will see the bond through.

What jobs are planned in the bond?

Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD voters will consider a two-part, $997.3 million bond in November. Here's what the district prepares to do:.

Prop A – – $979.3 million. New and replacement schools and additions:.

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• L.D. Bell High School replacement
.


• Trinity High School replacement
.


• Bell Manor Elementary replacement (Spring 2026)
.


• Hurst Hills Elementary replacement (Fall 2026)
.


• Wilshire Elementary replacement (Spring 2027)
.


• Midway Park Elementary replacement (Fall 2027)
.


• Bell Manor conversion to KEYS/DAEP
.

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Safety and security:.

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• Secure entry addition at Hurst Junior High
.


• Equipment for school gatekeeper
.


• Address campus security at every school according to House Bill 3 requirements
.

.

Technology – – Infrastructure and Security
.

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• The district's innovation facilities would be upgraded to support student gadgets and improve functionality throughout the district.
.

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Prop B – –$ 18 million. Innovation – – Devices.

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The present trainee to device ratio is 2.5-to-1. After the purchase of brand-new portable gadgets, the trainee to device ratio would be 1.3-to-1, which is equivalent to surrounding districts.


• Funds would also be utilized to buy interactive digital display boards, file electronic cameras and projectors for class, and to replace aging equipment such as desktop and notebook computer.
.

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Matthew Sgroi is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Assistance coverage of Fort Worth schools

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< p > Early ballot starts Oct. 23 and ends Nov. 3. < p > It's hard to figure out how lots of actual dollars the owner of an average home in the district will pay to HEB ISD in 2027. < p >" Imagine taking a test and all of the unexpected that loud sound comes on," she stated.

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