Hays County voters to consider $1.6 billion worth of bond packages across 3 school districts
HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – Booming Hays County has elections on May 3 for three independent school districts to support current and future growth. The bond packages for Hays CISD, Dripping Springs ISD, and Wimberley ISD add up to $1.6 billion combined.
Hays CISD
Hays CISD voters will consider the largest of the three bond packages in the county. Voters are being asked to approve a $968.35 bond package to support the anticipated growth of Hays County’s biggest school district.
District officials expect the total student population to increase by over 11,000 students in the next five years. There were a little over 24,000 students enrolled in Hays CISD schools at the start of the 2024-2025 school year.
The district says it only has the capacity for 26,882 students – just over 2,000 more students than are currently enrolled.
“In the most simple terms, we’re growing. We’re growing about 1,000 kids a year. We’re projected to grow that many, if not a little more, every year for the next decade,” Tim Savoy, a spokesperson for Hays CISD, told KXAN in December 2024.
“The urgent needs are classroom space and infrastructure,” Savoy continued. “And not just adding new space, but maintaining older facilities and bringing them up to newer standards in terms of technology.”
The 2025 bond package includes five propositions:
Prop A
Prop A includes around $500 million worth of the projects that aim to facilitate growth, improve safety and rehabilitate aging campuses.
If passed, the district could build its 18th elementary school, rehabilitate and expand eight schools and acquire land for future schools.
Prop B
If Hays CISD voters pass $396 million Prop B, the district can cover all of the necessary costs required to create its fourth high school.
Prop C
Prop C provides around $6 million worth of funding to expand the sub-varsity stadium included with the construction of high school #4 to a capacity beyond 1,000 seats, according to the district.
Prop D
If Prop D passes, it will provide over $50 million to build four fine arts and athletics activity centers for each of the three existing high schools and high school #4.
Prop E
If voters approve Prop E, the district will have around $16 million to upgrade antiquated systems, including instructional devices, photocopiers and network systems.
Dripping Springs ISD
The Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees unanimously voted on Feb. 6 to call a bond election, which will put a $402.3 million package in front of voters this May.
The bond comes amid the continued growth of the city and the county. The DSISD bond package will allow the district to build a second high school and support capital improvements and renovations for current campuses.
Prop A – $399.7 Million
- Construction of high school #2 (2,500 student capacity)
- Capital improvements and renovations for Dripping Springs High School and Rooster Springs Elementary
- Capital maintenance across district facilities
- Transportation: seatbelts for buses, replacement and growth buses and vehicles
- Technology infrastructure and equipment
- Portables
Prop B – $2.6 Million
- Technology device refresh for teachers, staff and students
- Interactive panels for classrooms
- Dripping Springs ISD voters approved a $223 million bond in 2023, which among other things, allowed the district to build a new elementary school.
Wimberley ISD
The smallest of the three districts called a $135 million bond election in February to support growth, update facilities and improve safety and technology.
- Prop A: $109,990,000 for general growth, safety and rehabilitation of facilities.
- Prop B: $6,050,000 for instructional technology improvements.
- Prop C: $5,730,000 for improvements to Texan Stadium.
- Prop D: $13,230,000 for a shaded multipurpose activity center
