Rockwall ISD trustees approve refunding bonds, adopt 2025–26 budget and clear property, easement and purchasing items

The Rockwall Independent School District Board of Trustees on June 16, 2025 approved a parameter order allowing issuance of unlimited-tax refunding bonds, adopted the district’s 2025–26 operating budget and approved several property and procurement actions, Board President Frank Constable said during the regular meeting.

The approvals come as the district’s finance staff and outside advisors are pursuing a refinancing that officials say would buy targeted savings in early years to lower the interest and sinking (I&S) tax rate. Jeff Robert of Hilltop Securities told trustees “we potentially have a, a refinancing or what we call refunding opportunity,” and said the model would prioritize savings in the first three years to reduce the I&S tax rate. District staff and bond counsel presented a parameter bond order under state law that sets limits including a maximum principal of $74,000,000, a maximum true interest cost (TIC) of 4.5 percent and a final maturity of 2038; the presentation showed estimated present-value savings of about 1.9 percent under current market assumptions. The board approved the motion to proceed; the motion was made and seconded as recorded in the meeting transcript and the item was approved (vote tally not specified in transcript).

Why it matters: the refinancing is intended to lower the district’s debt-service tax rate in the near term while leaving long-term maturities unchanged; the board also delegated final pricing to district officials within the approved parameters so the transaction can move forward if market conditions meet the board’s requirements.

Also on finance, the board adopted the 2025–26 fiscal-year annual operating budget for the general fund, child nutrition fund and debt service fund. Chief Financial Officer (presentation) Mr. Carter told trustees the budget before them is being adopted on current law and that final certified property values, expected no later than July 31, will determine final tax-rate calculations. Carter summarized legislative uncertainty around recently passed school-finance legislation (House Bill 2) and its structure, and said that while the district’s early estimate of the bill’s effect is roughly $9,600,000 in new funding, new mandated costs and limitations reduce the net benefit; Carter summarized the district’s projection of an approximate $6.4 million budget gap for 2025–26 under current assumptions. The board voted to adopt the budget as presented; the motion and second are recorded in the transcript and the item was approved (vote tally not specified in transcript).

The board also approved a resolution to grant a special warranty deed and release the district’s partial ownership interest in a roughly 22,000-square-foot parcel (about a half-acre) to the City of Rockwall. Mr. Carter described the parcel as landlocked and adjacent to Laughlin Park and Dobbs Elementary and said administration “doesn't foresee any future use for the subject property for the district.” The city told the district it intends to expand existing park amenities on the site; the board approved the resolution (motion and second recorded; vote tally not specified in transcript).

Trustees approved a private sanitary-sewer and temporary construction easement request from Iron Ranch FATE LLC on the Rayco Middle School site. District staff explained two valuation methods and presented a negotiated compensation figure of $23,108.93 for the 8,053-square-foot easement; the board approved the easement request.

Procurement and capital items approved by the board included: - An amended award under RFQ 2025-3 for laptops to Riverside Technology Inc., increasing the contract amount to $92,057.85 (added quantities caused the amendment). The board approved the amended award and authorized contract execution. - Authorization to purchase 59 Apple iMacs (24-inch) with JAMF Pro licensing through a board-approved cooperative in the amount quoted (approximately $128,207) for the Gene Burton College and Career Academy; the board approved the purchase.

Academic and administrative waivers and program approvals included district requests to the Texas Education Agency (TEA): trustees approved a waiver to allow modified schedules on state assessment testing days so non-testing students may report to campus after the testing window, approval of a teacher-portal waiver permitting the district’s local data system (AWARE/Eduphoria) to serve as the teacher access point for assessment data, and approval of an optional flexible school-day program for the district’s alternative campus (Rockwall Quest). All three waivers were approved as presented.

Public comment at the meeting included a call from Katie Tanner for the board to consider a proposal addressing student addiction and its impact on classrooms — she told trustees, “After some research, I’ve written a proposal to address this concern and send it to all of you by email.” Adrienne Balcomb spoke in praise of the district’s transparency and outreach efforts.

Votes at a glance (as recorded in the meeting transcript) - Authorize matters incident to issuance and sale of Rockwall ISD unlimited-tax refunding bonds, series 2025 — motion and second recorded; outcome: approved (vote tally not specified in transcript). - Approve resolution to grant special warranty deed and release partial ownership interest in specified real property to the City of Rockwall — motion and second recorded; outcome: approved (vote tally not specified in transcript). - Approve Branching Minds multi-tiered system of support platform purchase — motion by a trustee and second recorded; outcome: approved (vote tally not specified in transcript). - Adopt 2025–26 annual operating budget (general fund, child nutrition, debt service) — motion by Dr. Packer, second by Mr. DuBois; outcome: approved (vote tally not specified in transcript). - Approve private sanitary sewer and temporary construction easement to Iron Ranch FATE LLC for Rayco Middle School site — motion and second recorded; outcome: approved (compensation $23,108.93). - Approve RFQ 2025-3 contract award (laptops) to Riverside Technology Inc., amended to $92,057.85 — motion by Mr. Burton, second by Ms. Fulton; outcome: approved. - Approve cooperative purchase of 59 Apple iMacs with JAMF Pro licensing (~$128,207) — motion by Mr. DuBois, second by Dr. Packer; outcome: approved. - Approve TEA waiver: modified schedule for state assessment days — motion and second recorded; outcome: approved. - Approve TEA waiver: teacher portal (local data system) — motion by Ms. Hilton, second by Dr. Packer; outcome: approved. - Approve TEA optional flexible school day program for Rockwall Quest — motion and second recorded; outcome: approved. - Approve consent agenda — motion by Mr. DuBois, second by Mr. Burton; outcome: approved.

What’s next: district staff said final certified tax values from appraisal districts are expected on or before July 31; staff plan a special August work session to present final tax-rate calculations and an August 18 meeting to adopt a resolution for the district tax rate if needed.

(Transparency note: the meeting transcript sometimes records vote tallies in a format that could not be unambiguously parsed into numeric yes/no/abstain counts. This article lists motions, movers/seconders when the transcript identifies them and records outcomes as recorded in the meeting. Where the transcript does not supply a clear numeric tally, the article notes that the tally is not specified.)