Midway ISD board votes unanimously to call $83.5 million bond election for Nov. 4, 2025

The Midway ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously to call a $83,500,000 bond election for Nov. 4, 2025, the board decided after more than an hour of discussion about enrollment trends and whether to rebuild or close Spiegelville Elementary.

District staff presented a recommendation that had originally been sized near $175 million but was pared down amid concern about enrollment at the elementary level and changes in local taxable values. "The board has the discretion to accept, reject, or modify a recommendation," said Dr. Allen, a district staff member leading the presentation, and added that the deadline to call a November election required action that day: "So today's the day."

The bond package approved for the ballot would fund deferred maintenance and facility upgrades, buses, technology, athletic and fine-arts projects and high-school improvements including a PE gym. Administration described roughly $40 million for deferred maintenance, about $6.7 million to replace buses (about 30 vehicles), roughly $9 million for technology, and a $21 million allotment for high-school work including a PE gym; smaller amounts were listed for fine arts and furniture/asset replacement. Board members discussed carving the full facility proposal into smaller propositions and holding some growth-related projects for a later election.

Why it matters: Trustees said the district faces growing operational (M&O) budget pressure, uneven enrollment across campuses and a backlog of aging systems. Board members split on timing: some argued addressing deferred maintenance and equipment now would reduce future operating costs, while others said waiting until May 2026 would provide a full school-year of enrollment data to test whether building a new elementary to replace Spiegelville is necessary.

Board discussion focused on Spiegelville Elementary, a small and older campus repeatedly described during the meeting as inefficient to operate. Several trustees said elementary enrollment had declined and that reopening or replacing Spiegelville was the single largest cost driver in the facility study committee's recommendation; others emphasized the campus's community value and urged planning that preserves its identity if changes occur. "I don't want to go ask the voters to pass a bond to build a new elementary when our enrollment figures don't support that," said Pam (board member). Aubrey (board member) said that if the board decided not to rebuild Spiegelville, the board could move forward sooner on other deferred-maintenance items and reduce the November package.

The board also discussed how recent state-level actions and local taxable-value changes affect bonding capacity. Susan Westwood, a district staff member, said the district's SERFF/O (taxable-value) numbers had "come in lower than the previous year by about 4%," largely because the homestead exemption increased from $100,000 to $140,000. Board members noted that increases in industrial property values could improve capacity next year but said that uncertainty around HB 2 and special-education funding remained a wild card.

On process: staff said certain purchases paid for before a bond sale may be reimbursable from bond proceeds if the district follows reimbursement timelines; administration described an 18- to 24-month practical window from the date of purchase to capture that reimbursement.

Motion and vote: A motion to "approve an order calling a bond election for 11/04/2025 for $83,500,000" was made, seconded, and carried unanimously. Trustees did not identify a named vote tally in the public record; the board announced the motion carried unanimously and adjourned.

Next steps: If the bond passes on Nov. 4, staff said funds would be available in February following certification. Trustees left open alternatives: calling a smaller, maintenance-focused bond now and returning to growth projects in May or November 2026, or keeping the full package for a single election. Some trustees asked administration to return by January with refined options and additional financial modeling.

Ending

The board approved placing the $83.5 million bond on the Nov. 4, 2025 ballot after weighing immediate maintenance needs against uncertain enrollment trends and funding changes. Trustees asked staff to continue refining cost estimates, enrollment projections and the messaging the district will use if the election proceeds.