The law provides that a school district must hold an election and get permission from voters to sell bonds and to levy taxes to pay for them. Bonds are sold to provide funding for capital improvements that last for a number of years. Such investments are too large to be included in operating budgets. Just as an individual agrees to repay a new home loan, voters authorize the District to sell and repay bonds for making major capital improvements.

Bond money can be used for new schools and facilities, expansion and renovation of existing facilities, furniture, technology, equipment, buses and other support vehicles, new school sites and other necessary land parcels. However, bond money cannot be used to fund daily operating costs, ie, employee salaries, benefits, utilities, fuel, etc.

The bond package—as proposed by the Long Range Facilities Planning Committee—includes the following components:

Proposition A:

THE ISSUANCE OF $548,410,330 OF BONDS BY THE LAKE TRAVIS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR SCHOOL FACILITIES, THE NECESSARY SITES FOR SCHOOL FACILITIES, AND NEW SCHOOL BUSES, AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX IN PAYMENT THEREOF. THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE.

• Elementary School #8 – $50,077,526

• Elementary School #9 – $54,677,521

• High School #2 – $176,125,620

• Bee Cave ES – $5,655,857

• Lakeway ES – $5,838,214

• Lake Pointe ES – $5,309,113

• Lake Travis ES – $5,194,029

• Rough Hollow ES – $1,314,165

• Serene Hills ES – $6,104,937

• West Cypress Hills ES – $2,388,456

• Bee Cave MS – $1,993,270

• Hudson Bend MS – $7,192,314

• Lake Travis MS – $3,715,078

• Lake Travis HS & PAC – $74,647,297

• Lake Travis HS Annex – $1,669,547

• Lake Travis HS Ag Bldg – $4,896,643

• Lake Travis HS Comp Arena – $43,963,156

• District Facilities – $53,527,587

• District Transportation – $9,620,000

• Land and Development – $15,000,000

• Closing, Admin Costs, Conting. – $19,500,000

Proposition B:

THE ISSUANCE OF $60,790,110 OF BONDS BY THE LAKE TRAVIS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX IN PAYMENT THEREOF. THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE.

• • Elementary School #8 – $840,000

  • Elementary School #9 – $840,000

  • High School #2 – $3,865,000

  • Bee Cave ES – $540,200

  • Lakeway ES – $483,893

  • Lake Pointe ES – $388,649

  • Lake Travis ES – $1,648,450

  • Rough Hollow ES – $528,781

  • Serene Hills ES – $1,623,177

  • West Cypress Hills ES – $580,191

  • Bee Cave MS – $2,653,975

  • Hudson Bend MS – $2,474,358

  • Lake Travis MS – $1,075,794

  • Lake Travis HS – $2,809,402

  • District Facilities – $40,438,240

Technology items include staff and student devices, improvements to existing facilities in cabling, wireless, cameras, access controls, classroom and campus AV, network, telecommunications and classroom and campus AV for new campuses.

Proposition C:

THE ISSUANCE OF $93,799,560 OF BONDS BY THE LAKE TRAVIS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR SCHOOL STADIUM FACILITIES AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX IN PAYMENT THEREOF. THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE.

• • High School #2 – $56,440,000

    • Football stadium, track, concession stands, restrooms and parking

    • Fieldhouse with locker and weight rooms

    • Baseball and softball fields and tennis courts, concession stands, restrooms

  • Hudson Bend MS – $2,161,500

    • Athletic turf and track surface replacement

    • Stadium sound system

    • Boys and girls additional PE space (1,500 sq.ft.)

    • Additional field events

  • Lake Travis MS – $600,000

    • Athletic turf replacement

  • Lake Travis HS - $34,598,060

    • Baseball and softball turf installation

    • Baseball concession stand and pressbox

    • Stadium renovations, additional seating, press box, classrooms, offices

    • Women’s field house addition, HVAC and architectural finishes

    • Renovate restrooms at athletic fields

    • Men's field house addition and millwork
    • Outdoor golf hitting bays and putting green
    • LED lighting replacement at all sports fields
    • New fencing and seating at track stadium

(Please Note: On August 31, Prop C was updated to include all LTHS athletic items. The total amount for LTHS did not change. )

TOTAL - $703,000,000

A 57-member Long Range Facilities Planning Committee comprised of parents, students, community members and staff participated in meetings between March 7 and May 3. Members were selected upon recommendation by the LTISD Board of Trustees, District senior staff, and campus principals. This group, along with support personnel from the District’s administrative staff, engaged in comprehensive presentations and discussions about District needs to accommodate a projected increase in student growth and enrollment, protect and replace District assets, and maintain instructional standards, resulting in the development of recommendations that were presented to the Board of Trustees on June 15, 2022. The Board of Trustees then analyzed the Long Range Facilities Planning Committee's recommendations and unanimously accepted the needs outlined in the Long Range Facilities Planning Committee's bond proposal.

According to demographer Population and Survey Analysts (PASA), student enrollment at Lake Travis ISD has increased by approximately 76% since 2007.  Considering a moderate growth rate scenario, projections indicate a continued uptick of more than 60% during the next 10 years, resulting in a district-wide enrollment of nearly 16,000 students.  In order to accommodate expected growth, a citizens’ bond advisory committee was formed in the spring of 2017 and has proposed that the Lake Travis school board call for a bond election in November 2017. It takes two to three years to plan and construct new school facilities.  A bond referendum will allow for the construction of new facilities as well as improvements to existing facilities to be complete in time to address capacity.

The Lake Travis school district is funded primarily through local taxes and state funds. Local taxes are collected and go into two different funds: maintenance and operations, or M&O, and Interest and Sinking, or I&S. The M&O side pays for everyday district operations including salaries, books and building maintenance, while the I&S side is similar to a mortgage and can only be used to pay the debt on school bonds. Bonds pay for new school construction and other capital improvements.

A school district’s general operating expenditures include payroll, utilities, supplies, and other costs associated with the ongoing operations of the school district. While districts may be able to address smaller capital items using general operating funds, school districts do not receive enough funding to cover the cost of large construction and/or renovation projects like those proposed in the bond.

Bond funds can have a positive impact on the maintenance and operations (M&O) budget. Since Lake Travis ISD is a Chapter 41 (property wealthy) district, it must recapture a percentage of its property taxes collected for the maintenance and operations budget. However, there is no recapture on property taxes collected for the bond budget. Thus, capital expenditures that are purchased out of the M&O budget cost the taxpayer approximately 1.724 (1.00/.58) times what they would cost if they had been purchased with bond proceeds. For example, if Lake Travis ISD were to purchase a school bus for $110,000 from its M&O budget, it must levy $189,640 to purchase the same school bus. The first $79,640 would be returned—or recaptured—to the State in "Robin Hood" payments. The next $110,000 can be used to purchase the school bus. On the other hand, if Lake Travis ISD is able to purchase the school bus using bond proceeds, then the District will levy $110,000 for the purchase of that bus. The State will receive $0 out of that levy because it does not recapture bond proceeds. This is one of the very few tax breaks that are given to Chapter 41 Districts.

The Board of Trustees has set the total tax rate at $1.2121, $0.8846 for M&O and $0.3275 for I&S. If approved by voters, there will be no impact to the district’s total tax rate. The zero impact to the current tax rate comes as a result of LTISD district paying down its current debt prior to its maturity. In fact, over the past several years, LTISD has saved its taxpayers more than $120 million in interest through aggressive debt management, resulting in increased capacity for future bond programs. Additionally, residents who have received an ‘Over-65 Exemption’ or ‘freeze’ from the Travis County Appraisal District will incur no tax impact as a result of the approved bond referendum. To obtain an Application for Residence Homestead Exemption from the Travis County Appraisal District click here.

Taxing units—including public school districts, cities, counties and special districts—may offer homeowners an exemption for up to 20% of their home’s value. The governing body of each taxing unit decides whether it will offer the exemption and at what percentage. This percentage exemption is added to any other homestead exemption for which the applicant qualifies. Homestead exemptions remove a portion of the home’s value from taxation, resulting in lower taxes. For example, if a home is appraised at $800,000 and the homeowner qualifies for the 20% optional homestead exemption, the homeowner will pay taxes on the home as if it were valued at $640,000. To receive the 20% optional homestead exemption, you must file an Application for Residential Homestead Exemption with the Travis Central Appraisal District between January 1st and April 30th–up to one year after taxes have been paid. Lake Travis ISD is one of only a few school districts in Texas that offers the 20% optional homestead exemption.

A person who is age 65 or over and who has successfully filed an Application for a Residential Homestead Exemption is eligible for a homestead tax ceiling. The homestead tax ceiling is a limit on the amount of school taxes paid on a residence. School taxes on that home will not increase as long as the age 65 or over resident owns and occupies that home. The tax ceiling freezes school taxes at the amount paid in the year the resident qualifies for the 65-and-Over Homestead Exemption. Residents who have received an ‘Over-65 Exemption’ or ‘freeze’ from the Travis County Appraisal District will incur no tax impact as a result of the approved bond referendum.   

Additionally, school taxes on the home may go below but not above the ceiling. If improvements are made on the home (other than normal repairs or routine maintenance), the tax ceiling may go higher because of the new additions. For example, if a garage or game room is added to the house, the tax ceiling will be adjusted to a higher level for the value of the addition.

If a 65 or older homeowner moves to another home they can transfer the percentage of the tax ceiling to a different home in the same or another school district. The ceiling on the new home will be calculated to give the same percentage of taxes paid as the ceiling on the original home. To transfer a school tax ceiling, please contact the appraisal district offices of your previous and current counties of residence to request the necessary certificate for processing.

No, Reimer’s Road is not part of the district’s 2017 bond package.  The proposed roadway failed to be included in the Travis County 2017 bond.  

Even though Serene Hills Elementary School currently has space to take more students, the real issue is the impact of our growing enrollment on our overall elementary school capacity. It takes approximately three years to design, construct, equip and open a new school facility.  Therefore, the LTISD Board of Trustees has called a bond election now to allow Elementary School #7 to open in time to meet this enrollment growth issue.

Elementary School #8 will be located in the Rough Hollow subdivision off Bee Creek Road, just east of Lake Travis Middle School. Several factors were reviewed to determine the best site for this school:

• The proximity of the site to the students within the potential attendance zone for this school
• The proximity of the site to emergency responder facilities
• Road and utility access to the site
• The availability of sidewalks to provide safe walking and bike riding routes to the site
• The readiness of the site parcel for construction of the school facility

If the bond referendum is approved by voters, construction of Elementary School #8 should commence in November 2022 and be substantially complete by August 2024.

The last bond election, held in November 2017 for approximately $253 million, funded the following projects:

• Middle School #3
• Elementary School #7
• Upgrades, renovations, and repairs to existing facilities
• School buses, including installation of seat belts
• Technology
• Land for future facilities and utilities

The bond will be structured similar to a personal home mortgage. Many items like technology, instructional materials and school buses will be amortized over useful life so that the tax rate decreases over time. Capital outlay, i.e., the construction of school buildings, will likely be financed over 25-30 years.

Pass or fail, the bond election will have no impact on the school district's tax rate. However, an increase to your home value will cause your tax bill to increase.

Under state law, ‘recaptured’ dollars are distributed to lower wealth schools across Texas.

A new high school typically opens with freshman and junior varsity programs. As grades are added, varsity teams are added accordingly. UIL realigns schools based on student enrollment. Having two high schools provides more opportunities for students to be involved in extracurricular programs.

No. The District will reconvene the Long Range Facility Planning Committee to determine how to move forward since we will not be able to build athletic facilities at High School #2. 

We have no way to effectively forecast student enrollment if the new high school was to be designated as a specific-interest magnet campus. As a result, we cannot guarantee enough students would transition out of Lake Travis High School and into the magnet school to alleviate overcrowding at LTHS.

No, the new high school would have its own, separate stadium.

New schools will be partly comprised of current student transfers, and the same will apply to staff. We will follow the same staff transfer procedures as in prior years when opening new schools.

Yes, the 2022 bond proposal contains several renovations and additions to Lake Travis High School.

Students attending High School #2 will be afforded the same offerings and opportunities as students at Lake Travis High School. High School #2 will be designed for a capacity of 2,000 students. Based on demographer projections, Lake Travis ISD will reach a maximum enrollment of approximately 5,532 high school students. Given that projection, High School #2 would house approximately 2,000 students while Lake Travis would have approximately 3,500 students. This would create a wide enough gap in enrollment, preventing these schools from competing against one another based on UIL alignment (1A-6A) and allowing our community to support both campuses. 

Elementary #8 would open in August 2024, while Elementary #9 is anticipated to open in August 2025.  

It will take approximately two years to design High School #2 plus approximately two additional years to build. Therefore, it is anticipated High School #2 will open in August 2027.  Each high school would have its own attendance boundaries which would determine enrollment. It is anticipated High School #2 would open with 9th and 10th grade students then add a grade level each year for the next two years.  

The District worked with the developer of Sweetwater when it was under development. However, the District was not able to secure an acceptable location for an elementary school at that time. District officials reached out to the developer during the past year, and again, an acceptable location within the development could not be secured. 

High School #2 will be located on District-owned property on Reimers-Peacock Road, while Elementary #8 will be built on property already owned by the District on Bee Creek Road. Elementary School #9 is targeted to be located on or close to Hamilton Pool Road.  

Yes, High School #2 will include the same vocational and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs currently offered at Lake Travis High School. The bond also includes funding for additional space for the expansion of vocational and CTE programs at Lake Travis High School.

The tax rate will remain the same regardless of the election outcome. 

No, the bonds will not be sold all at once. Typically, about half of the total amount of bonds authorized will be sold initially in order to complete new facilities. The rest of the bonds will be sold as needed as projects progress.

Interest rate assumption used to estimate bond capacity included several rate increases. Therefore, there would be no change in the bond amount or tax rate. However, there would be a positive impact to the amount of investment earnings on the bond proceeds.

Last year, LTISD paid $45 million in recapture, while this year, the District expects to pay almost $70 million. District officials are working with different groups to address this.

The district has refinanced and paid off $380 million in debt prior to maturity saving taxpayers $120 million in interest payments. This has created capacity to issue the proposed bonds without having to increase the tax rate to repay the debt.

Home values would have to drop significantly in order to create a need to increase the District’s tax rate.

Yes, the annual audit and annual Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) report are posted on the LTISD website.

Education Code § 45.003(g) requires a separate measure/proposition for six specific types of projects:

• Stadium with seating > 1000
• Natatorium
• Recreational facility “other than a gym, playground, or play area”
• Performing arts facility
• Teacher housing
• Technology other than “school security” or “integral to the construction”

None of these terms are defined by statute. The District’s tax rate will remain unchanged regardless of the election outcome. However, if the propositions are approved, the District will incur new debt to pay for facilities construction.

The District has scheduled over 60 face-to-face presentations to date. Information about the election will also be shared through printed materials and the District’s social media channels. All information, materials, and resources are available on the District's website.

Voters have two options: “for” or “against” each individual proposition.

No, the language "This is a property tax increase" does not apply to all entities. However, publication notices for tax rate adoption by all public entities must include “The rate will raise more property taxes by $X and X%.”

The District will rezone all elementary schools in order to create capacity at all schools. We will purchase portable buildings to accommodate continued growth.

State funding has not been adjusted for inflation in the last four years which limits the amount of operating funds available for capital purchases such as technology devices and infrastructure.  

We have a full fleet of school buses in our current inventory. We will continue to hire drivers at competitive pay. Current teachers and staff will have the option of transferring to our new campuses once rezoning occurs.

We currently have seven districtwide officers and plan to have an officer at each campus in three years.

Funds in the 2022 bond will be used to purchase new buses to replace older buses in our current fleet which are approaching end-of-life cycle.

Yes, we work with developers as new neighborhoods are established to determine if there is a need for a campus at that particular location. By law, we can only pay fair market value for land and cannot get into a bidding war.

Yes, we work with all entities to get school zones, turning lanes, and stop lights to regulate traffic flow in order to keep motorists and families safe when walking to and from school.

Build-out is the term used when all usable property within district boundaries has been developed. Our student enrollment is projected based on housing and build-out numbers.

We would reconvene our Long Range Facilities Planning Committee to determine next steps.

We are willing to work with developers to find suitable and feasible locations for future schools.

No, workforce housing is not included in the 2022 bond. Workforce housing could be addressed in a subsequent bond package if we want to include housing. We have talked to different developer groups, but the market rate may not be feasible at this time.

Individual PTA/PTO by-laws will determine advocacy. However, outside of PTA/PTO meetings, individual citizens are allowed to advocate for or  against measures.

This has been a recent phenomenon as the passing rates for bonds has dropped significantly since the Legislature changed the bond election language laws in 2019. We are not aware of any recent studies on the impact of failed elections. 

The District’s Maintenance Building located behind Lake Travis High School will be considered as a potential site for the expansion of our Career and Technical Education program.

We encourage parents and community members to attend our presentations. We also encourage parents and community members to visit our website.

The Facilities Condition Assessment, or FCA, covers upgrades to facilities that include HVAC, plumbing, roofing, interior and exterior finishes, flooring, fire alarms, lighting, electrical controls, paving, irrigation, and landscaping. The projects vary per campus and District facilities.

If approved by voters, Proposition A includes funding for the addition of a right turn off of Bee Creek Road into Rough Hollow Elementary School, a right turn lane off of Vail Divide into Bee Cave Middle School, and a right turn lane off Hamilton Pool Road into Bee Cave Elementary School.

The District will develop a timeline for each project with emphasis on safety and security items, as well as the construction of Elementary School #8 and planning for High School #2, after the November election.