Bond Proposal Approved by El Campo ISD Board of Trustees
EL CAMPO, Texas — The El Campo Independent School District Board of Trustees unanimously approved calling a School Bond Election for May 3, 2025.
A Citizens Committee comprised of a diverse group of El Campo community members and leaders met eight times over the past five months. Their charge was to evaluate the district's long-term facility needs and help produce the long-range facility plan and vision going forward. A recommendation utilizing their various perspectives was then made to the ECISD Board of Trustees in January.
“It’s been 11 years since we had a bond passed in El Campo ISD,” Superintendent Bob Callaghan said. “I’d like to thank our community members on the committee and the board for their time and efforts. We’ve carefully considered all options and identified the needs of the students we serve. This bond proposal helps address those priorities."
Texas school districts do not receive state funding for renovating or building new schools. Instead, they must receive funds through school bond elections. The 2025 Bond will ask voters to consider an $80.9 million package in one proposition.
Proposition A includes new construction and renovations to El Campo High School and a new replacement wing on the Hutchins Elementary site, pairing it with the more recent construction, completing the full school replacement.
The high school projects include replacing the kitchen and cafeteria, H building, C building and library, high school administration offices, counselor area, band, and choir, AVS East building, wood shop, and replacing portables with permanent classrooms. The AVS West and A buildings will also be renovated.
If voters approve Proposition A in May, there will not be a tax rate increase on residents in El Campo ISD.
The 2023 legislative session delivered the largest property tax cut in Texas history. The combination of compression and the $100,000 homestead exemption cut school district property taxes for homeowners around the state.
Since 2019, state law requires all bond propositions for any school district to have the phrase “THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE” on all ballot language for bond propositions. Homeowners 65 years of age and older who have filed for and received the Over 65 exemption will not see an increase over their frozen dollar amount. Check your most recent Notice of Assessed Value Change to see if you will be impacted.
“We want to make sure that our community is well-informed with the facts surrounding this bond proposal,” Mr. Callaghan said. “We will be sending out voter education information by mail, digitally, and on social media. Our primary responsibility is to only communicate the facts about the bond.”
More information about the bond projects and voting locations will be available on the district website at ecisd.org.
To register to vote or to find out your registration status, call the Wharton County Elections Department at 979-532-0193, or visit their website at www.co.wharton.tx.us/page/wharton.elections. The last day to register to vote in the May election is Thursday, April 3.
Early voting begins April 22 and ends April 29, and Election Day is Saturday, May 3.