Midlothian ISD Facility Planning Committee presents bond recommendation to school board

Trustees set to hold a special meeting next week

After three months of careful study, collaboration and community engagement, the Midlothian ISD Facility Planning Committee presented its final recommendations to the Board of Trustees at the July 21 school board meeting. The recommendation presentation outlined a fiscally responsible plan that prioritizes the most critical needs in the district to address enrollment growth and aging facilities, without increasing the district’s current tax rate.

The 80-member citizen committee represented a diverse cross-section of the Midlothian ISD community, consisting of parents, grandparents, MISD staff, non-parents and community leaders. Six meetings were held from May to July, along with one district tour of multiple campuses. Committee members evaluated data on student enrollment trends, facility needs and infrastructure conditions, construction escalation costs, the district’s bonding capacity, and results from a community survey about possible bond projects. At their final meeting on July 15, members participated in a “Build-A-Bond” exercise where they carefully weighed 15 potential projects. The resulting recommendation, which reached 79% consensus of support, represents months of thoughtful prioritization, consensus-building and numerous meaningful conversations.

The committee’s recommendation would not increase the current tax rate. The proposed projects are below the district’s bonding capacity and can be approved by voters without changing the current Interest & Sinking (I&S) tax rate. The committee's recommendation addresses enrollment growth, capital improvements to maintain and enhance existing facilities, and supports academic and extracurricular programs throughout the district. The proposed projects totaling $383,215,139 include:

• New #9 elementary school in the Goodland/Prairie Ridge area
• Phase 1 of a new career and technical education center that would allow The MILE to be repurposed to expand alternative education programs such as LEAP and DAEP
• Agricultural Facility Additions
• Technology devices and infrastructure
• Frank Seale Middle School capital improvements and school renovations
• Midlothian High School capital improvements and school renovations
• Capital improvements at existing facilities for HVAC systems, roofing, flooring, painting, stage equipment, lighting, paving and grading
• Longbranch, Vitovsky and Mt. Peak capital improvements
• School buses
• Transportation facility addition and renovation

Project details are available on the district’s Facility Planning webpage.

The board meeting presentation was made by six members of the Facility Planning Committee: Richard Reno, Brad Golden, Jennifer Knight, Gabriel Vargas, Amy Brown and Scott Klor. They shared details about the process and work completed by the committee, explaining how they spent several meetings researching information and prioritizing needs. The presenters also shared that the committee experience was very positive and collaborative. The committee’s recommendation builds on the district’s commitment to long-range planning. It reflects the responses shared by the Midlothian ISD community in a Bond Planning Survey conducted this summer for MISD by a third-party firm. 

Board members expressed appreciation for the committee’s work and emphasized the importance of continuing the conversation. No action was taken during the July meeting. Trustees will hold a special workshop at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30 to review the recommendation in greater detail as the board works to determine next steps and whether to call a bond election for the November 4, 2025 general election. It has been nearly 10 years since the last successful bond election.