MINEOLA, Texas — Mineola ISD trustees have called a $29.85 million bond election for May in an effort to fund a new primary school and the creation of a career and technical education center.
The school board approved the bond election Thursday night to be held May 7 without any opposition among the trustees.
If approved, the funding will be used to build a new primary school that will house head start through third grade, renovate the current elementary school into a career and technical education center and update other educational facilities.
The tax rate would increase by $0.24, and that would put the overall tax rate at a $1.20 if approved, Superintendent Cody Mize said.
Mize said the school leadership and board trustees knew there were facility needs, and they worked with a committee to come up with a plan.
He noted the aging facilities within the district, such as the high school and elementary campuses that were built in 1968.
The proposed primary school would be built on Mineola ISD property on Loop 564. According to the district, the new building would reduce traffic congestion at the Mineola Primary and Mineola Middle School with fewer grade levels in the building.
It would also start the process of addressing the district’s aging facilities. The current primary campus would then serve fourth and fifth grades.
With less students on the primary campus, there will be space for further student growth over the next several years, according to the district presentation.
Construction of the new primary school will cost $19.5 million.
Through the conversion of the elementary campus to the Mineola ISD Career and Technical Education Center, students and teachers will have additional classroom space.
Having a center dedicated to CTE will allow for more focus on students earning an industry-based certification when they finish high school. Over the past three years, certifications have grown from 35 in 2018-19, 224 in 2019-20 to 312 in 2020-21.
Mize said the district leaders realize that a lot of students are not going to get a college degree after high school but they still need some of the workforce certification.
The CTE center, if funding is approved, will be right next to the high school.
"We've got some incredible programs in place," Mize said, adding that the programs provide experience for the students' desired career paths.
The elementary campus becoming the CTE center would cost just over $4 million, according to the district.
The high school vocational building remodel, including an HVAC classroom, agriculture science classrooms and auto-mechanics shop to ag mechanics shop, would cost $1,040,500.
A new auto-mechanics shop would be about $1.2 million. Other costs include canopy upgrades, contingency costs and design and engineering.
Early voting will be held April 25 through May 3 (Monday through Friday) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Wood County Annex Building, located at 200 W. Bermuda St. in Quitman.
On May 7 (Election Day), polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Mineola City Hall, located at 300 Greenville Highway in Mineola.
