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SOUTHLAKE — Carroll school district voters voiced overwhelming support Saturday for $138 million in projects, approving the largest bond package in district history.
Residents backed Proposition 1, 66 percent to 34 percent, according to unofficial returns, with all precincts reporting. Proposition 1 will fund replacements for Durham Elementary and Carroll Middle schools, districtwide capital improvements, technology, and maintenance and security projects at a cost of $114.1 million.A second proposition for $19.3 million drew 65 percent of the vote and will fund capital improvements for band, art, theater and athletic programs.A third proposition for $4.6 million, which won approval by 55 percent of voters, would pay to expand Dragon Stadium, including additional seats, parking, restrooms, concessions and new artificial turf. A 41-member community Long-Range Facility Planning Committee spent a year studying Carroll’s needs before recommending bond projects.Supporters championed the bond package as necessary for Carroll students to continue top academic achievement and noted that the district’s technology infrastructure needs shoring up."We were feeling as if the whole community was with us. I think for the most part that Southlake is passionate about our kids, and people really rallied behind this," said Tina Wasserman, spokeswoman for Friends of Carroll ISD, which supported the bond. Members of two political action committees arrived early Saturday at Carroll High School to speak to voters and hand out campaign material. But bond opponents found it difficult to overcome the efforts of school supporters, mayoral candidates and Southlake leaders, said Bill Zimmerman, spokesman for a group known by its Web site, www.care4cisd.org. Bond opponents took out newspaper advertisements Friday after some campaign material was mailed late, Zimmerman said."I think the district was successful selling people on the idea that the bonds are an investment on keeping property values low," Zimmerman said.The group disputed whether the district’s minimal enrollment growth warrants new facilities and said residents are already overtaxed. They said that extra stadium seats are an "unwarranted and unreasonable luxury" given the economic downturn and that some technology is expensive to maintain and not necessary for student performance.School boardFor Place 4 on the Carroll school board, engineer Read Ballew won with 65 percent of the vote over pharmaceutical representative Jamie Cadiz, 49, who took 35 percent.Ballew, 48, led a subcommittee that investigated Carroll’s capital improvements and building use. Both candidates supported the bond proposal. But Cadiz, a former high school biology and chemistry teacher, argued that the board needed a member with full-time classroom experience.Elsewhere online: www.carrolldragons.com, www.care4cisd.org, www.southlakecarroll.eduJESSAMY BROWN, 817-390-7326
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