BISD board calls $211M bond to build new high schoolFree Access

Bridgeport ISD trustees placed a $211.6 million bond on the May 3 ballot Monday night that would finance the construction of a new high school, replace buses and maintain aging district facilities.

The school board voted 7-0 to call the bond election.

The largest item is the construction of a new $183.1 million high school campus. The bond would also fund $26 million for capital improvements — such as flooring, roofing, interior upgrades and HVAC replacements — and $2.5 million to upgrade the district’s aging transportation fleet, replacing up to 18 buses and up to five district SUVs, which would be ordered in phases.

The $211.6 million in improvements would raise the district’s current debt service tax rate by 23.72 cents per $100 valuation, explained BISD Finance Director Sheri Albright.

The district’s current total tax rate is 92 cents per $100 valuation. If approved, and the maintenance and operations rate were to remain the idle, the total rate would rise to $1.15, which is still below the combined $1.24 total tax rate from 2019-2020.

Albright said that the district could opt to delay or stagger the impact of that increase over the course of the next two-to-three years, depending on property values, interest rates, project phasing and bond structure. She added that the district will see some debt fall off its ledger soon, with the school district on pace to pay off its last approved bond from 2009 six years early.

If the new high school is approved, it would allow the district to move the middle school to the current high school campus off Cuba Road.

The proposed high school would be approximately 200,000 square feet and could accommodate up to 1,200 students, said Bridgeport Superintendent Amy Ellis.

The campus would be located on 73 acres owned by Bridgeport ISD off Farm Road 1655, just north of U.S. 380. That location is right next to the Weatherford College Wise County campus, providing nearby access to additional dual credit and Career and Technical Education programs, Albright said.

If approved, the new campus would open by August 2029.

The new high school would address several additional priorities outlined by the district’s various facility planning committees since 2019, including the construction of CTE facilities, an auditorium that could be used by the school and community, softball and baseball fields, and tennis courts.

While specific grade alignment and facility scenarios were not discussed in detail Monday night, committee co-chair Randy McComis told the board at a previous meeting that a new high school would give the district the option to relocate the intermediate school to a more suitable location, allowing the district to sell the valuable property facing the busy U.S. 380 corridor.

May 3 will mark the fourth time since May 2023 for Bridgeport ISD voters to consider a bond referendum. The last three attempts failed. Voters rejected a $26 million bond in May 2024, a $145 million bond in November 2023 and a $185 million bond in May 2023.

A theme throughout Bridgeport’s various facility improvement efforts has been addressing its aging school buildings. The elementary school is 20 years old, the high school is 32 years old, the intermediate campus is 56 years old and the middle school is 68 years old.

Bridgeport ISD voters last approved a bond in 2009, when one part of a two-proposition package passed, allocating $15 million for upgrades to the high school and intermediate school.

Homeowners who are 65 years or older can once again apply for an Age 65 or Older Exemption on their homestead and have their property taxes frozen, avoiding a property tax increase from the passage of the bond.

Early voting for the May 3 election begins April 22 and ends April 29. The last day to register to vote is April 3.