FAQs

Most school districts in Texas use bonds to finance renovations, additions and new facilities. School districts do not receive any money from the state for the construction of new school buildings or improvements. Since school buildings serve the community for 50 or more years, it is well reasoned that taxpayers would pay for them over a period of 25-30 years and not from the district's annual operating budget.

This bond focuses on increasing student capacity. The proposed bond projects would add 1,225+ student capacity to the district. Also addressed in this bond is the need for additions and improvements to the junior high and intermediate schools.

If approved, this bond will provide upgrades and improvements to academic learning environments, expand career and technical education (CTE) opportunities, and prepare the district for future growth.

By law, bond funds cannot be used for payroll expenses or any daily operational costs such as utilities, supplies, fuel, and insurance.  Instead, bond funds can only be used for new buildings, additions and renovations, land acquisition, technology infrastructure and equipment, or school buses.

A school district’s tax rate is comprised of two components or “buckets.” The first bucket is the Maintenance and Operations budget (M&O), which funds daily costs and recurring or consumable expenditures such as teacher and staff salaries, supplies, software and utilities. The second bucket is the Interest and Sinking budget (I&S), also known as Debt Service, and that is for longer-term capital improvements approved by voters through bond elections. I&S funds cannot by law be used to pay M&O expenses, which means that voter-approved bonds cannot be used to increase teacher salaries or pay rising costs for utilities and services.

Due to new property value growth and the strong financial position of the district, the district is able to pay off old debt early and refinance debt to save taxpayers money.  I&S funding projected to be generated at the current tax rate is sufficient to cover principal and interest payments over the life of the bond, while also preserving the district’s bond capacity to meet growth needs into the future.

A 3-4 grade elementary school campus is a long-term solution to address the student capacity issues at the elementary school level.  We are currently at or over capacity at all three elementary schools.  A new campus would add 750 student capacity, freeing up classrooms at the three existing elementary school campuses.  By having 3-4 grades at their own campus, the district will also be able to bring students together onto one campus before entering intermediate school.

The district is actively evaluating land purchase options centrally located between Mabank and Gun Barrel off Hwy 198 where the 3-4 elementary campus would be constructed.  The bond proposal contains funding for the 3-4 grade elementary campus land purchase as well as the purchase of additional land for future district growth.

The proposed CTE addition frees up current classroom space to be used for other academic classes and adds 325 student capacity to the high school campus.  It also provides a single dedicated facility for career and technical education courses, removing the need to transport students to the satellite facilities at the Junior High.  Furthermore, the CTE addition would free up the current High School satellite CTE facilities for use by Junior High to expand CTE courses to the 7-8 grade levels.

This would include smaller projects to extend the life, improve the functionality and safety, and increase the capacity of existing instructional facilities.  Districtwide Renovation, Upgrades, and Repairs does NOT include any projects for athletic facilities.

No. By law, if you receive an Age 65 or Older Exemption, your homestead tax levy cannot be raised above the frozen level unless you make significant improvements to your home.  A significant improvement would be anything beyond normal maintenance or repair, such as building a swimming pool or adding a garage or game room.

Under state law, if you have applied for and received the Age 65 Freeze on your homestead, your school taxes CANNOT be raised above their frozen level unless you make significant improvements or additions to your home. To apply for the Age 65 freeze, contact your county’s Central Appraisal District.

Anyone at least 18 years of age and living within the boundaries of Mabank ISD is eligible to vote.  You must be registered by Thursday, April 4, 2024 in order to participate in this election.

You can check your voter registration status at www.votetexas.gov.

If you need to update your address, you can simply fill out the change online.

The goal is for students and staff to move into the building at the beginning of Fall 2026.

The goal is for bond projects to occur within two years. The new elementary campus and CTE addition will be priorities to complete, with the junior high renovations and improvements anticipated to be one of the final projects for completion. Of course, things such as weather, building material delays, and other various factors may impact the timeline.

Portables are not a cost-effective solution and create a safety and security concern. Portable classrooms must have the same standards as building classrooms and for a two-classroom portable building the cost ranges as high as $500,000.

In the immediate, there will be auxiliary positions such as custodial and food service that will need to be included for the 3-4 elementary school. In terms of additional teachers or support staff, the district does not project additional needs in the beginning as we routinely adjust staffing and add staff based on student growth.