Castleberry ISD bond referendum would fund new STEM classrooms, storm-shelter gym and campus renovations

Voters in Castleberry ISD will decide on a $98,000,000 bond program on May 4, 2024, the district said. The package would fund new construction and renovations across the district, including updated career and technical education classrooms, STEM science labs, a centralized high-school administration area and a storm-shelter gymnasium intended to meet building-compliance codes.

The district presentation said the bond is intended to let the district borrow long-term at low interest for capital projects and emphasized that "a school bond is like a home mortgage," adding that bond funds "cannot be used for salaries or operating costs such as utility bills, supplies, building maintenance, fuel, or insurance." The Presenter credited a facility planning committee made up of trustees, teachers and community members with developing the recommended list of projects.

Planned new-construction items listed by the district include eliminating portable classrooms, adding collaboration spaces and gated parking and exterior plazas to secure outside areas for students, and enclosing an interior connector between a basement and the gymnasium for safety. Renovations described include enlarging classrooms to meet a cited Texas Education Agency standard of 800 square feet, opening the library to support flexible learning and dining spaces, creating a functional education area with ADA access, and remodeling fine-arts and theater spaces to increase storage and dressing-room capacity.

On taxes, the district provided an estimated tax impact of 4.82¢ and presented an example saying that for the average home in Castleberry ISD valued at $233,370 the impact would be $5.36 a month; the district framed that figure as its projection. The Presenter also noted that citizens 65 and older are exempt from additional school district tax charges under state law and said homeowners must apply to receive that homestead tax freeze.

The district directed voters to the bond website at castleberryisdbond.com for full project lists, voting locations and times. Early voting was listed as April 22–30, 2024, with Election Day on Saturday, May 4, 2024.