Brownsville ISD citizens facility committee recommends roughly $350 million bond package to address roofs, HVAC, CTE and transportation

The Citizens Facility Committee for Brownsville Independent School District on Tuesday presented a final report recommending a prioritized bond package of about $350 million to address urgent building repairs, system upgrades, a new career and technical education (CTE) center and transportation needs, while leaving a proposed performing arts center for separate board consideration.

The report, presented by committee co-chairs Rusty Brochaux and Henry Lavier, sets roofing and HVAC repairs as top priorities and recommends the board consider a general-purpose proposition of approximately $350,000,000 for immediate facility needs. "If we only had a dollar to spend and we needed $3 to do it all, where are you gonna spend that dollar?" Brochaux said, summarizing the committee's prioritization approach.

The committee compiled condition assessments and estimates after site visits and staff interviews. It identified roofing work on 15 elementary schools, three middle schools and three high schools and HVAC upgrades on about 15 elementary campuses, two middle schools and three high schools; the committee estimated the cost to address those roofing and HVAC items at about $305,900,000. The report also lists major renovation projects the committee recommends for selected campuses, including Canales Elementary (estimated $20,600,000), Sharp Elementary (about $31,400,000), Stell Middle School (about $17,700,000) and PACE Early College High School (about $22,600,000). "This report to me is very important because it's an investment in our assets," Lavier said.

On workforce and student services, the committee recommended replacing 70 buses by 2029 (the report cites a 15-year life expectancy), with an estimated replacement cost of $11,500,000, and building a new transportation facility and warehouse (estimated $29,600,000). The district currently operates a fleet of more than 270 buses, the report notes.

A top districtwide priority in the final recommendations is constructing a new CTE center to replace the facility sold to the city for Gladys Porter Zoo expansion. A July 2024 feasibility study by Pflueger Architects placed potential sizes for a new CTE center at 43,000 to 85,000 square feet; the committee recommended setting aside about $25,000,000 of the bond proceeds toward a new CTE center and cited estimated construction costs in the $35 million to $47 million range for a 43,000–56,000 square-foot facility.

The Citizens Facility Committee presented a package of additional districtwide needs that includes window replacements, new canopies, intercom and fire alarm upgrades, energy-efficiency work and a proposed annual device-replacement rotation for student technology with an estimated yearly cost of $3,000,000. The committee noted that combined pricing for listed projects exceeds the recommended bond total and expects the board to pare and prioritize the final package. "The committee is confident that the board will review the list of assessments and projects and determine what will be the best and final list of projects to be considered as part of a bond issuance," the report states.

The committee considered a separate proposition for a dedicated performing arts facility. The districtwide subcommittee recommended development of a performing arts center but the full Citizens Facility Committee did not support including it in the general-purpose proposition. Denise Granado Chavez, a districtwide co-chair, said the committee examined several options and that a performing arts center would likely require its own ballot item; she told the meeting "approximately about a 3¢ increase would give us about 45,000,000, I think 45, about 50,000,000 is what's projected for this facility." The report estimated a performing arts center of about 43,000 to 57,000 square feet could cost between $40 million and $55 million.

The finance subcommittee recommended structuring the general-purpose proposition so the district’s debt tax rate would remain at about 24¢, contingent on expected property value growth and the board's final choices. "If the proposed projects are pursued, the expected tax rate impact would remain the same if we would stick to the $350,000,000," finance presenter Alex Cepidis said. The finance subcommittee advised that if the board includes a performing arts proposition, those costs should be treated in addition to the recommended tax-rate package.

Committee chairs and subcommittee leaders also discussed school consolidations and repurposing as part of long-term planning: elementary subcommittees recommended consolidation for several low-enrollment campuses effective in the 2026–27 and 2027–28 school years, and the report includes options for relocating or repurposing underused buildings. The secondary subcommittee highlighted aging infrastructure, enrollment declines at some middle and high schools and the need to weigh renovations versus consolidation. "Every campus had needs," Dr. Rita Hernandez, co-chair of the secondary subcommittee, said. "Immediate repairs and upgrades addressing critical maintenance and infrastructure [are] high priority."

Public commenters at the end of the meeting urged the board to support a dedicated performing arts center. Jose Montano, a band director at Garcia Middle School, said the district paid $7,500 to rent a nearby TSC Fine Arts Center for a recent event and that parents were turned away because of capacity limits: "The need is urgent," Montano said. Cesar Mascoro, a former BISD band director who spoke as an alumnus, also urged support for a fine arts facility, citing the district's strong record in regional and state music programs.

The Citizens Facility Committee provided appendices with a full project list and noted that architects and engineers helped price more than 100 of roughly 200 assessed items. The committee said total estimated pricing for all assessed projects — including items not yet fully priced — was about $670,000,000. Committee members asked the board to review the list line by line; the board has scheduled meetings on Feb. 6 and potentially Feb. 10 to discuss the recommendations and whether to call a bond election in May. The committee said it is available to provide additional information to trustees as they refine the proposed package.

No formal motions or votes on a bond call were recorded at the Citizens Facility Committee presentation; the report was submitted to the Board of Trustees for further consideration.