A gaggle of appointed residents charged with serving to the Alamo Schools District to develop a virtually $1 billion bond package deal for a Might 2025 election has begun discussions on the group school district’s long-term wants.
The Citizen’s Bond Advisory Committee met for the primary time on Dec. 9 to deal with a possible $987 million bond, which district officers mentioned may deal with the wants of a rising inhabitants.
Capability constructing
In keeping with district officers, fall 2024 marked an all-time scholar enrollment achievement for all the district, with greater than 79,000 college students.
“It’s the very best situation for Alamo Schools as a result of we have now extra college students and people college students are taking extra hours,” mentioned Thomas Cleary, vice chancellor for planning, efficiency, accreditation and knowledge techniques.
District leaders mentioned they wish to capitalize on particular enrollment will increase that Alamo Schools has been seeing since fall 2023, together with a 17.6% rise within the variety of college students enrolling within the district straight from highschool and a 13.1% rise within the variety of college students transferring into the district.
Cleary mentioned if present enrollment developments proceed to maneuver upward, the district ought to obtain 100,000 college students inside 5 years. “So, the difficulty in entrance of us now could be capability planning.”
He pointed to Texas Affiliation of Counties projections that by 2040, Bexar County’s inhabitants will surpass 2.5 million, with the seven surrounding counties served by the district seeing their populations improve wherever between 4.1% to 95.4% from 2020 to 2040.
Workforce growth
“Your suggestions are two-pronged. One is wanting on the progress that we’ve had particularly over the past 5 years,” district Chancellor Mike Flores instructed the advisory committee. “The opposite would take a look at progress in applications, with an intentional deal with workforce applications.”
Flores mentioned it is crucial that Alamo Schools keep momentum from the district’s $450 million bond, which voters permitted in 2017.
District officers mentioned the 2017 bond targeted on rising the district’s help for college students in profession fields akin to nursing, cybersecurity, tourism, hospitality and culinary arts.
“That is about how we are able to construct on the muse over the previous couple of years and prolong that focus into the long run,” Flores mentioned.
Priscilla Camacho, chief legislative, business and exterior relations officer, mentioned the district seeks to boost and align academic workforce alternatives with prevailing progress industries.
She added that five-year progress projections are excessive in info know-how/cybersecurity, aerospace/protection and in superior manufacturing and logistics.
Camacho additionally mentioned employment knowledge exhibits that greater than 235,000 locals work in life sciences/well being and in finance {and professional} companies mixed.
“We positively have already got applications aligned to those industries, and that’s what’s serving to us meet that progress demand and the projected progress,” Camacho mentioned.
‘Financially and fiscally sound’
Lisa Mazure, vice chancellor for finance and monetary companies, mentioned Alamo Schools has a AAA bond score from two bond score corporations, which means the district has sound monetary standing to drift one other bond if voters help it.
Mazure mentioned due to rising property tax income, the district doesn’t intend to boost its property tax fee with a purpose to finance a brand new bond.
“We now have super skill to be financially and fiscally sound and do that bond with out asking the taxpayers for any sort of improve,” she added.
Committee members mentioned they appreciated the displays from district directors, however expressed concern that voters would possibly balk at a bond totaling almost $1 billion.
“We’ve obtained to get forward of the group after they hear nearly $1 billion, and we’ve by no means achieved that earlier than,” mentioned Ken Lowe, District 2 consultant on the Residents Bond Advisory Committee. “I feel from a committee standpoint, we have to have the correct narrative out locally.”
District directors responded that Lowe’s concern is certainly one of many issues that may be addressed in follow-up committee conferences, which is able to conclude Jan. 6, with bond suggestions forwarded to the Alamo Schools District board by Jan. 9.
District trustees are resulting from talk about suggestions Jan. 14 or 21, and name a Might 3 election by the Feb. 4 board assembly.
