Birdville schools bond proposal to build indoor practice fields fails
Voters in the Birdville school district rejected a $48 million bond proposal to build three indoor practice fields. In unofficial results, the proposal had support from 47.34% of the voters with 52.66% opposed.
Superintendent Gayle Stinson said in an email to the Star-Telegram on Wednesday morning (Nov. 6) that the results are disappointing to all students.
“While I know many of you will be disappointed with this outcome, we do appreciate each and every one of you who took the time to learn about the bond proposal and vote.”
The buildings at Richland, Birdville and Haltom high schools would cost approximately $16 million per campus.
The bond package is a “scaled back” version of the $59 million proposal that was voted down two years ago, according to the school district.
“The facility’s design allows for multiple groups to use the space simultaneously, which is especially beneficial during inclement weather or when outdoor areas are unavailable. This ensures consistent practice schedules and enhances performance and readiness for all programs,” school board president Kris Drees said in an email to the Star-Telegram.
Districts with indoor practice fields
Many North Texas districts have indoor practice fields, including Aledo, Arlington, Argyle, Carroll, Denton, Grapevine-Colleyville, H-E-B and White Settlement. Dallas and Fort Worth do not have indoor fields.
Property tax rate impact
The property tax rate would not have increased because the maintenance and operations portion of the tax rate (which provides funds for day to day expenses) has dropped by 25.31 cents since 2019, from $1.04 to 78.69 cents, said Katie Bowman, associate superintendent of finance and operations. Birdville’s debt service portion of the tax rate also went down slightly.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 7:22 PM.