Decatur ISD’s bond-planning committee has thrown its full weight behind a $137 million bond package that would wipe out the district’s aging middle school and bankroll a slate of districtwide upgrades. The unanimous recommendation comes after two months of public meetings and a community survey that committee members say shaped what ultimately made the cut.
The committee’s preferred plan, labeled "Option 2" in district materials, clocks in at $137 million total, with roughly $100 million tagged for a new McCarroll Middle School to be built east of the existing campus. The estimated tax impact is about 2.2 cents per $100 of taxable value, or roughly $57.20 a year on a $400,000 home, according to figures shared on the Wise County Messenger Facebook page. The same option and cost breakdown appear in the district’s bond-planning presentation at Decatur ISD Bond Planning, and the recommendation has also been reported by the local paper.
How the committee reached its recommendation
The bond-planning group did not arrive at its pick overnight. Members held four public meetings and pushed out a community survey to gauge what residents saw as top priorities, efforts that helped narrow the options and rank needs, according to bond resources from Decatur ISD. Brett Sumrow of architecture firm Corgan facilitated the sessions and walked the committee through potential sites and construction phasing scenarios.
What the bond would fund
The proposal is not just about a new middle school building. The package also sets aside money for career and technical education facilities, transportation, classroom technology, safety and security improvements, and districtwide repairs and replacements, according to reporting by the Wise County Messenger. The committee favored the east site for McCarroll in part because it trims costs and avoids major grading or creek-relocation work, which helps keep the projected tax impact lower than the northwest alternative, the outlet reported.
Timeline and next steps
The committee plans to formally present its recommendation to Decatur ISD trustees in early February. The bond-planning presentation lays out a possible schedule with the committee’s formal recommendation targeted for Feb. 2 and a potential board vote on calling a May bond election on Feb. 9, as shown in materials posted at Decatur ISD Bond Planning. Board meeting dates, agendas and supporting documents are available on the district’s public meetings portal at Decatur ISD Meetings, where the trustees’ calendar is open to the public.
Why voters should pay attention
District leaders have been working through major facility planning in recent years, and this new recommendation is the latest piece of that long-range puzzle, according to planning materials from Decatur ISD. If the school board ultimately calls a bond election, officials say they plan to roll out factual voter guides and tax-impact information so residents can see what is on the table and what it would cost.
The school board is expected to take up the committee’s recommendation during its February meetings. If trustees vote to call a May election, that decision will show up on a posted agenda and in formal election notices. In the meantime, residents can dig into the committee’s presentations, survey results and other meeting materials on the district’s bond-planning site and keep an eye on the board’s agenda for the official go-ahead.
