[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6234187,"mediaKeyId","3411799-adad2060a7e8b9a9b22a966a87ae4d8f","parentId",3411799,"title","McAllen ISD begins facilities study as consultants say district could qualify for $290 million bond without raising taxes","audioSeconds",4431,"startMs",758000,"endMs",5189000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3411799-adad2060a7e8b9a9b22a966a87ae4d8f&start=758&end=5189","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3411799-adad2060a7e8b9a9b22a966a87ae4d8f/thumbnail_758000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6234187/Texas/McAllen-ISD-begins-facilities-study-as-consultants-say-district-could-qualify-for-290-million-bond-without-raising-taxes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6234187-73682873f7c2b5d86e8114477476a70a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155923&Signature=Rqt4MLxEIZ~7Mv9d4CCLgcQ9kqDdlr37tc5Tvp8LGASzRg86X7Sul~L-RNddn~CEnE4u90ykOs90qCNI3dZl3Or6dX~Nc-46jhjsyIHKWNy~tcIU0bsOFCydTUVr5ykbGKSa0iWAY5vqmUZxCrgNKHm5mFYUPxrT4dwhqQjT8OB-l~RLtmBg0kay~Ygj1~ICauFAZo0KH6EclYfPhIVltXTm-Jd150pan7iTv3G73LddEeRONyDGrv61Dg8XeuzL9qgzPqW663haxv5szVutLh3ihJCxPXYnjmvBg-MKqkTAVlbT1ZSo2SGVta~m72pr7OZnpoZiIjNyQqhD6xZSVg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","McAllen ISD","date","2025-05-21T00:55:07.57Z","article","McAllen Independent School District officials and consultants opened a facilities forecast advisory committee meeting on May 19, 2025, to begin collecting campus and community input for a districtwide facilities assessment that could support a bond issue of about $290 million while keeping the district's existing 99-cent tax rate.

Superintendent Rene Gutierrez framed the financial context for the meeting: “McAllen ISD tax rate is at 99 cents, which is one of the lowest in the area,” and he explained that about 83 cents goes to maintenance and operations while “the other 16 cents is on the I and S (interest and sinking) funds” used to pay bonds. Gutierrez said debt service scheduled to retire soon could free up that I&S portion and that the district’s financial consultants had indicated the district qualifies for “about $290,000,000 bond … without raising the taxes, that is maintaining the same tax rate at 99 cents.”

Nerissa Sparks, the lead consultant from MGT, said the meeting was intended as an early listening session. “The goal of tonight’s meeting is more of a listening session,” Sparks said, and she outlined the four-part assessment MGT will use: building condition, educational suitability (functionality to support programming), grounds/infrastructure and technology readiness. Sparks said MGT will combine those findings with campus walkthroughs and stakeholder input to build a prioritized list of projects.

Committee members and campus leaders supplied examples of recurring, districtwide needs that MGT’s study will evaluate: large numbers of portable classrooms and requests for permanent classrooms; leaking or aged roofs; inconsistent heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems and daily electrical breaker issues; small cafeterias and libraries relative to enrollment; insufficient restrooms for staff and students; parking shortages and crowded drop-off areas; flooding and stormwater drainage problems on several campuses; cramped or makeshift fine-arts, band and mariachi practice spaces; inadequate locker rooms and athletic support facilities; and aging lighting systems districtwide.

Fine-arts director Miss Loya told the committee McAllen’s facilities are used by the region and that band and mariachi programs have outgrown available practice and classroom space. “All of my band hall areas in all of McAllen ISD is overcrowded,” she said, noting practice rooms are sometimes used as offices or storage and students end up rehearsing in hallways.

Principals and parents across elementary, middle and high school feeders described repeating themes during the vertical-team discussion: need for covered gymnasiums or enclosed multiuse spaces at elementary schools that lack gyms; covered walkways to protect students from weather; pavement, leveling and irrigation for outdoor practice fields; restroom additions for life-skills classrooms; and parking and pickup area redesigns to improve safety. Several campus leaders cited portables counts (for example, Milam was described as having roughly six portables) and stressed that many campuses had temporary or aging additions that require replacement or permanent solutions.

MGT subcontractor Half Engineering will conduct mechanical, electrical and plumbing assessments as part of the study, and Sparks said consultants will prepare a brief summary for each school that combines observed conditions with the items raised in these meetings so campus teams have a shared list to review during walkthroughs.

No formal board action or vote was taken at the June 19 meeting; the session was a fact-finding and prioritization step. District staff said the next phase will include MGT-led walkthroughs by vertical teams (elementary, middle, high) and compilation of a prioritized project list that the board could consider as part of any bond proposal.

The committee will use the MGT report and campus input to help the board and staff craft a bond package if the district chooses to move forward. Gutierrez said timing may depend on legislative action affecting election windows; district attorneys and financial advisers are monitoring that development.

The district scheduled further vertical-team visits and follow-up meetings after MGT completes initial assessments and compiles school summaries so the committee can refine priorities for any future bond proposal.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","McAllen ISD Board Workshop (May 19, 2025)","oneSentenceSummary","McAllen Independent School District officials and consultants opened a facilities forecast advisory committee meeting on May 19, 2025, to begin collecting campus and community input for a districtwide facilities assessment that could support a bond issue of about $290 million while keeping the district's existing 99-cent tax rate.","taxTitle","MCALLEN ISD, School Districts, Texas","taxId",14239,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6234184,"McAllen ISD told House Bill 19 could force November bond elections; district to wait for June legislative outcome",4365,921000,5286000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3411799-adad2060a7e8b9a9b22a966a87ae4d8f&start=921&end=5286","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3411799-adad2060a7e8b9a9b22a966a87ae4d8f/thumbnail_921000.jpg","/articles/6234184/Texas/McAllen-ISD-told-House-Bill-19-could-force-November-bond-elections-district-to-wait-for-June-legislative-outcome","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6234184-576fbf0b78a962df2222874249246edc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155923&Signature=j7nafnfEB1aRH2Y-BMAdqezLzsNU9MWjuctux50HfzjYVlib9CdLjC0bMztINoQ7MSPao9IFAXhvJBvXO5imX3l~ixnto7oVyJ8e2eN7L7i8rxQ-wzG~7sBuYEiQn~bswO-dgnvo4ct2tulM0iSUcj6FjtgqWYZCLERxDHTPzSpDtA18CJs-EcCRRqj56PjVdW81AX8wmJo-px5np4n7PdgUd7eMMj7X0gJm0sfpXEuyVLuhAVbCc4zf6mTPGA0gHoCr6u7yuP1Rr5Ip2Z-CzKaTgiwRUalmvu3pFBxGNI5RZU9dczGsWsnYP-XNbWsxI7j9g987RP7W7ZIKIQSvuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","McAllen Independent School District officials received a legislative update on May 19, 2025, that said the timing of any bond election could be affected by pending bills at the Texas Legislature, and that the district should wait for the end of the session before finalizing a schedule for a potential bond.

Doctor (Dr.) De Los Santos of the Estrada firm provided the update and explained why the committee was meeting again quickly after its initial session. “The reason this thing started moving so fast … is because of the pressure that was that is being put on by the legislature to have elections only in November,” he said. De Los Santos said it remained possible that provisions of House Bill 19 could be attached to other bills as the session proceeded.

De Los Santos told the committee bond counsel had advised that the Senate would publish the bills it intended to consider by May 23 and that the legislative session formally ends in early June; he recommended the district await that outcome. “By the 23rd, we should have a real good indication,” he said, and later added, “We’re hopeful that the November-only election time provision is thrown out the window and that this board and other boards … have an opportunity to plan not only for facilities, but for financial options also through May.”

He also warned that House Bill 2 and Senate Bill 2 — the larger budget and general provisions bills — could create new spending requirements for districts, such as personnel pay increases that may be partially unfunded and therefore place additional pressure on district general funds. “Guard your fund balance,” he advised.

District staff told the committee the next advisory meeting would be scheduled after the legislative session ends in early June so that the district and consultants could incorporate any statutory changes into the bond timeline and ballot planning. No formal decision to call a bond election was made at the May 19 meeting.

Committee members were advised to continue meeting and to keep compiling facility priorities even if a November election window were required; staff said MGT would have completed most of its assessments by the June follow-up meeting and the committee could proceed to refine the prioritized list once legislative outcomes were clear.","Bond counsel and district attorneys updated the facilities advisory committee that House Bill 19 and other legislative proposals could restrict bond elections to November; the district said it will wait for the June close of the session before scheduling a bond election and advised the committee to remain active during the period.","actionData","errors"]

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McAllen ISD begins facilities study as consultants say district could qualify for $290 million bond without raising taxes

McAllen ISD told House Bill 19 could force November bond elections; district to wait for June legislative outcome