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Citizens committee backs $60 million bond; finance staff says tax rate would not rise
Summary
A citizens advisory committee recommended the San Felipe-Del Rio CISD board seek a $60 million bond to fund prioritized facility projects. District finance staff told trustees the district's I&S tax rate would remain at 18.77 cents under the proposed plan.
SAN FELIPE DEL RIO, Texas — A citizens advisory committee recommended the San Felipe-Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District seek a $60 million bond referendum to fund prioritized facilities projects, and district finance officials told the school board the district could issue the bonds without raising its I&S (interest and sinking) tax rate.
The committee, which toured campuses and reviewed financial analysis, ranked renovation of the Del Rio Freshman Campus as its top priority, followed by district-wide air-conditioning renovations, a new brick-and-mortar campus for RBB (Robert Perera Elementary), renovation of San Felipe Memorial Middle School, renovation of Buena Vista Elementary and replacing Garfield with a new elementary campus. The committee’s recommendation was presented by Sandra Hernandez.
The bond plan presented by Amy Childress, the district’s finance director, outlines issuing two series totaling $60,000,000: about $32.5 million with delivery in June 2026 and about $27.5 million with delivery in June 2028. Childress said the district’s current I&S tax rate is “18.77 cents” and that, based on current valuations and the district’s debt plan, “we do not believe that in issuing the $60,000,000 bond that we would have to raise our current I and S tax rate in order to do so.”
Childress also described a principal defeasance payment the district made on April 7, 2025: a $1,220,000 additional principal payment on an unlimited tax bond series dating to 2016. She said the prepayment is expected to produce about $394,800 in interest savings over the life of the series. Childress reported outstanding principal across the district’s bond series of $39,039,993 from an original issuance total of $64,784,993.
Committee members reviewed estimated project costs so voters and trustees could see potential trade-offs. Staff-provided cost estimates shown to the committee included: Del Rio Freshman Campus renovation — $25,000,000; San Felipe Memorial Middle School renovation — $15,000,000; new RBB campus at Laughlin AFB — $8,000,000; Buena Vista renovation — $10,000,000; Garfield replacement — $22,000,000; AC renovation district-wide — $7,000,000. The committee used those estimates in a blind ranking exercise and recommended a package of highest-priority projects that would fit into a $60 million authorization.
The committee’s recommendation was advisory. No bond election was called at the April 28 meeting; board members and staff said the next steps would include hiring an architect to refine cost estimates, finalizing the project list, and preparing voter information materials. Childress warned trustees that state law requires bond notices to include language that can suggest a tax increase even when the district’s analysis shows no rate change, noting, “the state forces us to do that.”
Why it matters: If the board moves forward and voters approve a bond, the district could finance multiple large campus renovations and a new campus without raising the I&S tax rate as projected by staff. The bond process would include architect cost verification and a public campaign explaining the district’s tax analysis.
What’s next: Staff said their financial advisers and bond counsel would prepare further analysis; the district would present refined cost estimates and a final recommendation to the board in advance of any election call.
