Frequently Asked Questions

School districts are required by state law to ask voters for permission to sell bonds to investors in order to raise the capital dollars required for projects such as the renovation of existing buildings or building a new school. Essentially, the voters are giving permission for the District to take out a loan and pay that loan back over an extended period of time, much like a family takes out a mortgage loan for their home. A school board calls a bond election so voters can decide whether or not they want to pay for proposed facility projects. School boards then have the authority to sell bonds when facilities are needed.

Bond funds can only be used for projects approved by voters in the bond proposition, such as new schools, additions, renovations, land, and major technology or equipment. They cannot be used for salaries or operating costs like utilities, fuel, insurance, supplies, or routine maintenance.

While the Weatherford ISD Board of Trustees sets the school property tax rate each year, the district does not determine the market or the taxable value of homes and business property within the district. Values are determined each year by the Parker County Appraisal District.

Weatherford ISD includes funds in its regular operating budget to maintain all facilities, including repairs to major systems when needed. However, some schools are more than 60 years old and now require significant capital investments—such as replacing roofs, HVAC systems, and other aging infrastructure—that go beyond what the Maintenance & Operations budget can cover. Bond funds make these large-scale projects possible to ensure our facilities remain safe, efficient, and functional for students and staff.

After extensive consideration, current data does not necessitate more high school capacity; rather, investing in Ninth Grade Center upgrades meets immediate needs for 9th graders, which include addressing aging systems, safety, and learning spaces.

If the bond does not pass, the district will continue addressing facility needs through repairs as issues arise, using the maintenance and operating budget. Over time, major building systems already past their useful life will begin to fail, and repairs will become more frequent and more costly, requiring a greater share of the Maintenance & Operations (M&O) budget and leaving fewer dollars for daily operations. Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs will remain in their current space without expansion, limited capacity and programs. Crockett Elementary, one of the district’s oldest campuses, will not be renovated and will continue to require repairs.

The overall school tax rate would still decrease, but by a slightly larger amount than if the bond passes. The exact size of that decrease depends on factors including future property values, state funding formulas, and the district’s ongoing debt schedules. Currently, the expected tax rate decrease if the bond does not pass is approximately $0.20.

Earlier this year, Weatherford ISD formed a Facility Planning Committee comprised of approximately 50 community members, business leaders, students, staff, and parents. The committee was tasked with studying district financial data, results from a community-wide survey, a district-wide facilities assessment, demographic trends, and cost analyses of potential projects. Members also toured existing facilities to assess current conditions firsthand. In July, representatives from the FACTS committee presented their findings and recommendations to the Board of Trustees. 

On Aug. 18, the Weatherford ISD School Board voted unanimously to adopt an order calling a $189.3 million bond election. The proposal will appear on the ballot as three separate propositions, addressing projects such as safety and security upgrades across all campuses, major renovations and additions to aging facilities, and improvements to support teaching, learning and student programs.

In the bond planning process, “P1s” stands for Priority 1 items. These are the most urgent facility needs that must be addressed to keep our schools safe, functional, and compliant. Examples of P1s include major mechanical upgrades such as heating and air conditioning systems, plumbing, electrical, roofing, and other critical infrastructure. The FACTS Committee and our architects identified these items as top priorities because they directly impact the daily learning environment and cannot be postponed without risk of higher costs or disruption in the future.

No. Bond funds cannot be used for salaries or raises. They can only be spent on the projects and items approved by voters in the bond proposition—such as new buildings, additions or renovations, land, and technology or equipment.

A school district’s tax rate has two parts: Maintenance & Operations (M&O) and Interest & Sinking (I&S). The M&O rate funds daily operations such as salaries, utilities, furniture, and supplies. The I&S rate can only be used to repay voter-approved debt, which includes the principal and interest on bonds.

Residents 65 and over are eligible for an “over 65” exemption. If you have applied for and received the age 65 and older exemption on your homestead, by law, your school taxes cannot be raised above their frozen level. The amount of taxes you pay is determined by the tax amount at the time your taxes were frozen.

Visit the Texas Secretary of State’s “Am I Registered?” webpage.

Projects are grouped by category—such as campus renovations, safety and security, and instructional facilities—so that voters can consider each area individually. All of the propositions come from the same comprehensive plan developed by the community-led FACTS Committee. Each one represents a different category of projects, but together they make up the full set of needs identified for Weatherford ISD. On Election Day, voters will see each proposition listed separately on the ballot, and may cast a vote on all of them.

If approved by voters in November, the district will begin design and negotiations right away. The first construction projects are expected to break ground in 2026, with work scheduled in phases over several years.