Brownsville ISD hears citizens' facilities report, weighs May bond options to pay for roofs, HVAC and CTE center

Brownsville Independent School District officials reviewed the final report of a citizens facilities committee on Feb. 6 and discussed four options for a possible bond election as soon as May 2025, including a $350 million package that administrators said could be structured to avoid a tax-rate increase.

The presentation by district staff and the facilities committee covered more than 200 high-priority facility assessments, with roofing and HVAC work accounting for the bulk of immediate needs. Staff outlined a set of options: a $350 million package aimed to keep the debt tax rate at about 24 cents per $100 valuation; a version that would add a performing-arts center and raise the rate; a variant that would include a performing-arts facility but keep the package at $350 million by removing other projects; and an administration recommendation to limit a first bond to immediate needs (roughly $200 million to $263 million) so the district could preserve debt capacity and return later for new construction.

The report showed the citizens committees logged roughly 216 items across campuses. Staff said the list of top priorities ' largely HVAC and roofing work by campus ' would total about $288 million through the first set of line items; the committee's full set of assessments, including renovations and device replacement, carried a notional total of roughly $667 million. District staff estimated that one penny on the I&S (interest and sinking) side currently generates about $14.5 million in revenue.

"The district will make all efforts to work towards a new bond with minimal, to no tax rate increase," district presenter Cesar Cespedes told the committee in opening remarks about the finances and timeline. Cespedes explained the…