Conroe ISD voters made history Tuesday, passing a $1.9 billion bond referendum, the largest ever for the district.
Approval of the bond means a 2-cent raise in the district’s tax rate. For 2024, the board of trustees lowered the rate from $1.11 per $100 in property value to 96.21 cents per $100.
Proposition A, which includes the largest expenditures for new schools and major renovations, passed with 61.08% of voters in favor with 38.92% against. The proposition was the largest on the ballot, with $1.8 billion set for eight new schools and eight more school additions and renovations.
Proposition B allocates $40 million to technology and devices including iPads, laptop and desktop computers. The proposition passed with 58.34% in favor and 41.66% against.
Voters also approved Proposition C, with 58.75% in favor and 41.25% against. This prop will provide $112.9 million for a third agriculture barn and 16 PE classrooms and elementary school gyms.
Proposition D, which earmarked $22.9 million for a new pool and renovations to the district’s natatorium near Woodforest Stadium, narrowly failed, with 50.76% voting against it and 49.24% supporting it.
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Growth is the driving factor for the bond, Conroe ISD Superintendent Curtis Null said in numerous presentations.
The last time CISD proposed a bond was in 2019. The first proposal put on the May ballot that year was for $807 million and failed. The district tried again in November 2019 and voters approved two bond propositions totaling $677.37 million.
“We are getting big in Conroe ISD,” Null said.
Currently, Conroe ISD is the 9th largest school district in Texas but Null said that will change.
“We will move up and become the 7th largest school district either this year or next,” Null said. “The two districts Conroe will pass are Fort Worth ISD and Austin ISD.”
Conroe ISD has more than 73,000 students with more than 9,000 employees at 70 campuses.
Null said the district will have more than 100,000 students within nine years.
“We will bring in 24 portable buildings to Conroe High School next year to accommodate the capacity there,” Null said.
The bond would provide needed capacity in the Conroe area where the district is seeing its strongest growth.
Conroe will see the biggest impact with the largest item on Proposition A being a new high school in Conroe, Null said. The bond will also add a new junior high and intermediate school to the Conroe area.
McCullough Junior High and Hailey and Ford elementary schools will be expanded. The Woodlands High School, Oak Ridge High School 9th Grade campus, Knox Junior High, and Creighton and San Jacinto elementary schools will undergo major renovations.
The bond will also fund master plans for Oak Ridge High School and Washington High School.
Proposition B allocates $40 million to technology and devices including iPads, laptop and desktop computers.
Proposition C would provide $112.9 million for a third agricultural barn, 16 physical education classrooms, and elementary school gyms.
Null said the district currently has two agriculture barns where students can house their animals for its Future Farmers of America programs. The Otwell barn in Oak Ridge North serves Oak Ridge and Grand Oaks high schools. The Budde facility in south Montgomery County serves The Woodlands and College Park high schools.
The package would build the third barn and renovate the district’s existing barns, Null said. The new barn would be located near the Montgomery County Fair Grounds and will include 30 cattle stalls, 75 pig stalls, 40 sheep and goat stalls, a wash area, an equipment room and a work room.
