Bond election focusing on improvements

By Philip Navarrette/Staff Writer

March 11, 2007 02:19 pm

— The Joshua ISD school board recently approved hosting a $44.87 million bond election to raise money for district-wide improvements and additions.
After a previous bond election failed in November, the school board created campus committees to address what is needed at each school in an effort to get in line with what parents and voters want, Superintendent Ray Dane said.
“Everybody is going to benefit from this,” he told the board Feb. 28.
Among the items planned in the package are a new middle school for $16,825,000. The new school is an important piece of the package and will help deal with the district’s growth and alleviate congestion, board President Randy Watson said. If the bond measure passes, Loflin Middle School will convert into a ninth-grade campus. Also included in the package are numerous upgrades to Joshua High School and increased parking at all schools.
The bond package is also expected to have little effect on Joshua’s property taxes, according to information on the district’s Web site.
According to the site, property taxes sit at $1.56 per $100 valuation. Though the bond package would increase the debt service rate by 30 cents, the maintenance and operations total would drop 33 cents, bringing the total projected tax rate to $1.53 per $100 valuation.
For more tax figures, pictures and other bond information, visit joshuaisd.org and click on “Bond Information.”

Philip Navarrette can be reached at 817-645-2441, ext. 2337, or reporter@trcle.com.