Northwest ISD voters approve all props in 2023 bond election
Preliminary results show Northwest ISD voters have approved all three propositions as part of the school district’s 2023 bond election. The approval will fund $1.995 billion worth of projects in a historic package that will construct 12 new schools and additional facilities for the fastest-growing school district in North Texas.
According to preliminary results, voters approved Proposition A for educational facilities and capital improvements with 60.60% votes in favor (8,346 to 5,427 votes). Preliminary results show voters approving Proposition B for home stadiums and field renovations with 50.46% votes in favor (6,939 to 6,813 votes). Proposition C for new technology devices passed with 61.75% votes in favor (8,492 to 5,260 votes), according to preliminary results.
Votes will be canvassed during a special meeting on May 16 to formally certify election results.
“I’m grateful Northwest ISD voters turned out in historic numbers for the May election and voted in favor of our children and our schools,” said Dr. Mark Foust, superintendent of schools. “Our community understands that as the fastest-growing school district in the area, we regularly build new schools and facilities to keep pace with growth. We look forward to welcoming the 8,400 new students who will join our district that the projects in this bond package will accommodate.”
With the results of the election pending final certification, Northwest ISD will almost immediately begin the construction of some of the new facilities voters have approved. One of the first projects in the bond package, Perrin Elementary School, will open in August 2024 in the Wildflower Ranch community. Notable projects proposed in the 2023 Bond Election include:
- High School #4: Located at North Riverside Drive in Fort Worth (near I-35W and S.H. 170), the district’s fourth comprehensive high school will alleviate overcrowding at Eaton and Northwest high schools. Those schools are each projected to exceed their designed capacities by 400 or more students by 2026, the projected opening of the new high school.
- Middle School #8: Four of the district’s six current middle schools are at or over capacity. The district’s eighth middle school will be located in the Pecan Square development in Northlake, providing relief for Pike Middle School, and is projected to open in 2026.
- Elementary Schools #23, 24, 25, 26: With the district’s unprecedented growth, Northwest ISD on average opens at least one elementary school per year. The next three elementary schools are slated to open in the Wildflower Ranch community (Perrin Elementary School) in August 2024, along the 287 corridor and in the Haslet area. The final new elementary school will be located in an area as necessitated by growth.
- Justin, Prairie View Replacement Schools: Justin and Prairie View elementary schools both feature outdated infrastructure and lower capacities than other district elementary schools. As part of the bond package, both campuses would have a new school built in line with the district’s current elementary design and features.
- Early Childhood Centers #1, 2, 3, 4: Four early childhood centers will be built across Northwest ISD, one in each geographic area of the district. To best use resources, the existing sites of Justin and Prairie View elementary schools will be used for two of these schools. The district owns a third site near Cox Elementary School that would be used for an early childhood center pending a site survey, and a fourth location will be determined in the southern portion of the district. These facilities would also offer staff daycare to attract high-quality educators to Northwest ISD.
- High School Home Stadiums: To continue to instill a community atmosphere and eliminate time spent away from the classroom, Byron Nelson and Eaton high schools will each receive a home stadium for athletics and fine arts use, as will the proposed fourth high school. These stadiums will replace the existing sub-varsity stadium and feature enough seating to accommodate 6A crowds. Given its proximity to the high school, Northwest ISD Stadium will remain the home stadium of the Northwest Texans.
Beyond these major projects, several smaller projects are included to similarly help the district accommodate tremendous growth. At the secondary level, for instance, the proposal includes the expansion of cafeterias and gyms at all comprehensive high schools, as they currently feature undersized core spaces for schools that each feature a 3,200-student capacity.
The bond package is estimated to increase the interest and sinking tax rate by one-tenth of a penny, resulting in an increase of less than $5 per year to the average homeowner’s annual tax bill.
Northwest ISD’s current total tax rate of $1.2746 is the district’s lowest total tax rate since 1993. The current tax rate includes a maintenance and operations rate of $0.8546 (used to fund salaries, utilities and other day-to-day expenses) and an interest and sinking rate of $0.420 (used to pay down debt incurred from issuing bonds as approved by voters). With approval, the I&S rate is projected to increase to $0.421.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BOND PACKAGE
To learn more about the 2023 bond package approved by voters in preliminary results, visit www.nisdtxbond.org. Northwest ISD will post updates about projects as they develop at www.nisdtxconstruction.org.