Reprint from the Progress Times - September 28, 2007
©Progress Times 2007 - All Rights Reserved

La Joya to hold $94 million IFA bond election

By Kathy Olivarez

The La Joya Independent School District will hold a $94 million Instructional Facilities Allotment (IFA) bond election on Tuesday, November 6. Superintendent Alda Benavides presented a discussion on how the bond money would be used during the Wednesday, September 26, meeting of the LJISD board of trustees.

Benavides told the board that a growth study by Gonzalez & Associates in 2005 predicted the district would have 27,138 students in the 2006-2007 school year. The peak enrollment was 25,438, which was less than a 200-student difference. The prediction for the 2007-2008 school year was 27,138 students. As of Tuesday the enrollment was 26,110 and it was still a long time until the student population was expected to peak.

The study projected that the growth will continue with a peak enrollment in 2011 of 30,644 students. Benavides told the board that the time to plan for the student population anticipated in five years was now. She stated IFA funds could only be used for student educational facilities, not for administrative offices or non-instructional purposes.

With the district growing by 1,000 to 2,000 students a year, it would be difficult to keep up with the number of schools needed to educate the children of La Joya. However, with IFA funding, which would pay up to 80 percent of the cost of the new schools, the district was eligible to get up to $94 million for construction. La Joya ISD is the 20th poorest district in the state.

To do so would require a tax increase of $0.0714 cents per $100 valuation. Because of the change in taxing structure made at the state level, the Maintenance and Operation tax rate dropped from $1.37 to $1.04, a decrease of 0.33. Even with the additional $0.0714, the combined tax rate would be $1.321, or $0.2586 less than last year’s rate of $1.58.

For the owner of a home valued at $50,000 the tax increase over the current $1.04 rate would result in a yearly increase of $24.99 while the owner of a home valued at $150,000 would have an increase of $96.39.

To determine the needs of the district, administration monitors construction costs, student enrollment, use of classroom space, the condition of existing buildings, population growth patterns and projected student growth.

The district received $82 million in IFA funds in 2004. However the money did not cover all the projects that were planned and an additional $30, 385,406 is needed to finish them.

While most of the cost overruns were due to the rapidly rising costs of construction materials such as steel and concrete, the large overrun at the Palmview High School came when the administration decided, based on the growth report, to build the school to accommodate 2,000 students instead of 1,500 as originally planned.

Benavides showed projections stating that the average cost of a high school for 2,000 students was $32,500.99.

An additional five schools were planned with the 2006 IFA bond election money.

While allowing for the projected cost overruns would account for $28,005,000, other proposed projects would include a ninth middle school at $21,845,000 and covered pavilions with restrooms for the 18 elementaries at $8,460,000.

The addition of career and technology education shops, agriculture, welding, building trades, auto body repair and auto mechanics to Palmview High School could add an additional $3.5 million to that campus. Wastewater sewer recovery fees would add another $1,226,594.

A wastewater treatment system for the new Juarez-Lincoln High School would add $1.4 million for a total of new planned projects of $36,431,594.

Town meetings will be held to give the information to parents. Escandon will have a meeting October while Zapata will host a meeting October 4. Parents from De la Garza and Diaz-Villarreal are asked to attend this meeting.

In October, Sam Fordyce will host a meeting for parents. Those from Benavides are asked to attend this meeting.

Tabasco will host a meeting for its parents and parents from De Zavala on October 11.

Irene Garcia Middle School will host a meeting on October 16 for their parents and parents from Camarena, E.B. Reyna, and Bentsen along with Memorial Middle School.

The final meeting will be held at Chavez Middle School on October 18. Parents from Ann Richards, Flores, Leo, and Gonzalez are asked to attend this meeting.

Early voting will begin October 11 and run Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will be held at E.B. Reyna and Sam Fordyce Elementaries and the LJISD Board Room. On election day the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting will take place at the County Commissioner’s office, 724 Breyfogle Road, Palmview; the La Joya Housing Authority, 945 S. Leo Avenue, La Joya; and the Sullivan City Fire Station, 500 Cenizo, Sullivan City.