The McAllen Independent School District Board of Trustees on Nov. 12 reviewed a draft bond package and a financial plan advisers said could allow the district to seek roughly $335 million without increasing the current tax rate.

Dr. Hector Gutierrez, the district superintendent, told the board the meeting was the first of several sessions to finalize a list of projects for a potential May 2026 bond election and reiterated the board must call the election by Feb. 13 if it chooses to proceed. Lorena Garcia, who presented the facilities report, said projects will be grouped into seven statutory proposition categories required on Texas school bond ballots: general school buildings, stadiums, auditoriums, other recreation facilities, performing arts facilities, teacher housing and technology equipment.

Matt Lee of Norton Rose Fulbright, the district’s bond counsel (participating remotely), said the 2019 law change that took effect Sept. 1, 2019 requires clear proposition labeling and that districts have discretion in grouping projects for the ballot. He advised that some safety- or operations-critical technology (for example, servers or integrated security systems) can be included in the general building proposition rather than only in a technology proposition.

Bobby (financial adviser introduced at the meeting) presented the district’s tax-rate history — noting it declined from about $1.15 in 2017 to the current 93¢ — and outlined a tranche-based sale scenario that advisers estimate would produce roughly $335 million of capacity while maintaining the tax rate. He emphasized taxable values are set by the appraisal district and that the district’s capacity depends on future value growth. He also noted state-level ‘tax compression’ and recent increases to the homestead exemption are factors that affect voter messaging and district capacity.

Facilities staff and consultant MGT summarized ‘priority 1’ campus needs from field walk‑throughs and community surveys. The lists include classroom modernizations, access-control and camera upgrades, fire alarm and chiller replacements, LED lighting conversions and removal or renovation of portables used for instructional or fine‑arts programs. Trustees asked staff to supply a portable inventory by campus and requested clarity on which items could be handled through annual maintenance, maintenance tax notes, fund balance or prior ESSER/ARPA allocations rather than bond proceeds.

Trustees discussed how to present the bond to voters. Staff and Pfluger Architects said they will produce schematics, cost estimates and a communications plan to make “invisible” infrastructure needs (HVAC, chillers, fire alarms) visible to taxpayers. Robbie McGowan of Pfluger Architects said the firm will reconvene the Facilities Forecast Advisory Committee, help refine project prioritization, and recommend a package to the board in December or January ahead of a potential Feb. 13 bond call.

The board gave no final approval of a bond package at the workshop; staff will return with cost estimates, design schematics and a community engagement plan. The meeting adjourned following a voice motion moved by Trustee Haddad and seconded by Trustee De La Garza.