Sweet Home ISD issues first bond for the school

Sweet Home ISD (SHISD) will be issuing a bond to be on the May ballot. Voters will be able to decide if this bond passes on election day on May 4. Early voting begins April 22.

This bond stemmed from a facilities assessment meeting which happened in July last year. The board ended up calling for a $6 million bond. It will address some safety and security measures as well as going towards some much needed repairs and renovations at SHISD.

“There are several proposed projects,” SHISD Superintendent Candace Pohl said. “We are looking at a new Pre-K through fifth grade building which also include a new cafeteria building. We’re also looking at some renovations for our gymnasium. It will go towards a new roof and floor as well as a new HVAC system because currently our gym does not have an AC unit. We want to also asphalt the gravel parking lot and we also need a new septic system and some plumbing updates.”

Recently, during heavy rain, the gym ended up having a major leak. There is a video on SHISD’s Facebook page of the leak.

“There’s also money set aside in the bond for some renovations to the main building. We want to connect the main building to what is currently the junior high portable,” Pohl said.

One of the reasons for that connection to both buildings is to increase some security on campus.

“We want to enclose that for the safety and security of our students,” Pohl said. “That’s what’s first and foremost and especially under our new regulations, one of the things that they really want us to do is funnel everyone through one main entrance and exit. Here at Sweet Home, with all of our exterior classroom doors, that’s currently not possible. That is really our intent, to try and limit outside access to our kids. All of this will be a series of enclosed hallways, instead of our open hallways that we have right now.”

Half of the bond, about $3 million, will be for the Pre-K through fifth grade building with the cafeteria.

Response has been relatively positive so far, according to Pohl.

“When we had the town hall meetings in the fall semester, we had a pretty good showing of community members and parents,” Pohl said. “We let them tour the campus and some of the comments were that they didn’t realize how some of the buildings currently are. The buildings are old. For example, the main building has been here since 1935. So, that was very eye-opening to some parents.”

There will be another town hall meeting on Wednesday, April 10 at 6:30 p.m. for parents and community members.

“We’ll talk about this process and what this will look like for community members,” Pohl said. “It will be open to citizen comments. As people should be, parents are concerned about the impact on what this will have on their taxes. We’ll be talking about maintenance scheduling if the bond passes. We want to make this school last another 100 years.”

SHISD is also looking at scenarios if, for some reason, the bond does not pass.

“If that happens, as we’re looking at continued and increasing maintenance costs and repairs. We may have to look at moving our educational budget to help offset those repairs,” Pohl said. “That will be taking away money from our instructional programs and our students.”

This is the first time in SHISD history a bond has been issued for voters.

“Even before I’ve been here, there’s been some conversation taking place with the previous superintendent about the bond,” Pohl said. “This is the very first investment of this type that we have asked our community to consider. I do hope to see everyone at the town hall meeting soon, all members of the public are invited to attend.”