El Campo ISD trustees approve $80.9 million bond election, authorize voter access measures

El Campo Independent School District trustees voted unanimously to place an $80,905,000 school-building bond on the May 2025 ballot and to take steps to run and publicize the election without increasing the district's current tax rate.

The bond measure, which trustees approved during a special meeting, would finance construction, acquisition and equipment for schools in the district. Board members also authorized the district to contract with Wharton County to run the election, approved a consultant contract amendment for bond communications and directed the superintendent to seek expanded early-voting hours and an additional polling location; the district will cover any extra county costs for expanded voting.

Why this matters: The bond would fund facilities and security, including career and technical education priorities and work at Hutchins, according to consultants and trustees. Trustees and consultants said the district's financial model assumes a conservative 4.5% interest rate and a 2% annual enrollment growth projection — assumptions that, if they hold, would allow the district to issue the bonds without raising the current tax rate.

Financial and timing details Lewis Wilkes, the district's financial consultant, told trustees that the bond team used conservative modeling, including a 4.5% interest-rate assumption. "We're using a interest rate of 4 and a half percent," Wilkes said, adding that if bonds were sold today the team would expect closer to 4% and that sales would likely be staggered over two to three years rather than issued all at once.

Wilkes said the district's finance team built about a half-percent cushion into its projections and noted the district's historical growth averaged about 6.2% over the last five years, although the model uses 2% for five years. He also said a planned defeasance of older debt, approved by the board in August, would continue regardless of the election outcome.

Legal and election arrangements Diana, representing bond counsel, said the election order prepared for the board contains a single general proposition for "construction, acquisition [and] equipment of school buildings in the district" and that the order "authorizes the district to contract with Wharton County for election services." The board approved that election order and the authorization to contract with Wharton County.

Public engagement and communications Nico Allen of Park Hill, the district's bond consultant, said the bond proposal and priorities were developed from a citizens committee and district input, and he urged an informational campaign for voters. "This bond proposal was very much guided by their input, the needs of the district and their input," Allen said, thanking committee members who participated in planning.

Board action and next steps Trustees moved and seconded the ordinance to place the $80,905,000 bond proposition on the May 2025 ballot and voted unanimously to approve it. They also voted unanimously to amend a contract for Park Hill to distribute factual information about the bond and to authorize the superintendent to request extended early-voting hours (7 a.m.–7 p.m.) and an additional early-voting location for the April early-voting period; the district will pay any additional election costs charged by Wharton County.

Votes at a glance - Resolution to place $80,905,000 school building bond on May 2025 ballot: approved unanimously. - Contract amendment with Park Hill for bond communications: approved unanimously. - Authorization for superintendent to request extended voting hours and an additional polling location (district to cover added county costs): approved unanimously.

Discussion vs. decision Trustees spent the bulk of discussion on financial assumptions (interest rate and growth projections), timing for bond sales (likely late June–July following the election) and voter outreach. Formal actions approved during the meeting were limited to authorizing the election, the communications contract amendment and voting logistics; no construction contracts or expenditures were authorized at this meeting.

What was not decided The board did not authorize any immediate construction contracts or specific project bids; the bond, if approved by voters, would authorize the district to issue debt to fund projects later. Exact project lists and timing for sales will be set by staff and consultants in follow-up steps.

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