Belton ISD board votes to call Nov. 4 bond election covering schools, stadiums, tech and pool

The Belton Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 6–1 on Thursday to order a bond election for Nov. 4, 2025, placing four propositions on the ballot to pay for facilities work, high school stadiums, technology and natatorium improvements.

The measure, as read into the record by a board member before the motion, specified principal amounts of $92,925,000 for Proposition A, $43,725,000 for Proposition B, $6,000,000 for Proposition C and $19,000,185 for Proposition D; trustees approved the order to call the election. The board’s presentation earlier in the meeting showed a slightly different aggregate figure ($161,824,799) for the full package and trustees and staff acknowledged the figures had been refined during the process.

Why it matters: If voters approve all four propositions, the district estimates a quarter-of-a-cent property tax-rate increase. Using Bell County Tax Appraisal District values and the district’s calculations, that increase equates to roughly $5.22 annually for the median taxable home value shown to the board after homestead exemptions. Homeowners age 65 and older would not see a tax change from this bond, the district said.

Board presentation and scope
Dr. Golan, presenting the district’s facilities review and bond advisory process, said the package arose from multi-year facilities assessments, a bond advisory committee, community surveys and workshops. Trustees were shown line-item changes made after committee and community feedback: safety and security items (exterior lighting, playground fencing, cameras, fire-alarm replacements) remained consistent; some furniture and capacity requests were reduced; modernization work for Sparta and Lakewood elementaries and Belton Middle School was retained but revised; and certain items were moved between propositions following advice from bond counsel.

Proposition A is described as the general facilities proposition covering safety upgrades, replacement cycles (roofs, HVAC and other capital replacements) and programmatic needs, including modernizations at Sparta and Lakewood and renovations at Belton Middle School. Proposition B funds athletic facilities and stadium work, including upgrades at Belton (Tiger Field) and a home stadium for Lake Belton High School. Proposition C focuses on technology devices and infrastructure, with the district removing an earlier plan to buy interactive flat panels and indicating those purchases would be phased through the operational (M&O) budget over time. Proposition D covers natatorium improvements narrowed by the board to locker rooms and additional pool practice lanes; an earlier, larger structural option was removed to reduce cost.

Public comment and board discussion
Two members of the public spoke during the public-comment period in support of the bond. Dan Stahl said he supported “the bond election proposals a through d,” and urged trustees to place them on the ballot, calling stadium upgrades an investment in “safety, inclusion, opportunity at the average household cost of a Happy Meal per year.” Mark Shepherd, who identified himself as a parent and student of the district, said the package would “equip our students and teachers with the tools they need” and that “approving this bond means safer schools, better facilities, and fair opportunities for all students.”

Trustees described extensive community engagement, with multiple bond-advisory and community meetings over the summer. Board members expressed differing emphases — some highlighted the need to maintain aging campuses and modernize systems, others cautioned about overall cost and potential long-term effects — but a majority said the proposed approach gives voters a clear choice.

Decision and next steps
Trustees moved, seconded and approved the order calling the bond election as presented; the vote was recorded as 6–1 in favor. The board did not adopt any project changes at the meeting beyond approving the order to call the election; final project scopes, timelines and budgets will depend on bond counsel review and, if the propositions pass, subsequent implementation by the district. The district staff told trustees the election language and ballot descriptions were prepared for the four propositions as required by law.

The election will be held Nov. 4, 2025. The proposed tax-rate impact, the bond amounts read into the record and the list of projects and priorities will be public information in the district’s election materials and on its website pending the next administrative steps.