LCS: Graford ISD bond proposal fails

Graford ISD’s $49.6 million bond proposal to construct a new campus failed by a two to one vote during the Nov. 5 Constitutional Amendment Election.

The district encompasses around 300 square miles which includes Graford, a small portion of Jack County and the majority of Possum Kingdom Lake.

In Palo Pinto County,  201 voted for the bond and 407 voted against. While in Jack County, four voted for and seven voted against bringing the total vote to 205, or 33.1% for, and 414, or 66.9%, voting against.

“I was disappointed, of course, because I was hoping for the best,” GISD Superintendent Dennis Holt said. “But, I wasn’t totally surprised because I heard a lot of the concerns being raised at community meetings and I know there was concerns on the dollar amount of the bond and what the resulting would do to individual’s property taxes.”

If the bond was approved, Graford ISD’s tax rate would have risen to $1.33 up from $1.11 per $100 valuation, last year. The Maintenance and Operations rate was at $1.04, but is slated to drop $0.97 per $100 this year after the passing of House Bill 3. The Interest and Sinking Rate would have risen from $0.07 to $0.36 per $100 valuation.

With the failing of the bond, Graford ISD’s tax rate is slated to be $1.07 per $100 valuation.

The superintendent said there are currently 350 students enrolled in the district, which services grades kindergarten through 12th. He said there are four students from Jack County, one from Possum Kingdom Lake’s Westside and 83 from the Lake’s Eastside. He added the district has seen a 1 to 2% growth each year.

Holt said, in a previous interview, the oldest portion of the current school, the current cafeteria, was built in 1939 as a gymnasium. He said the campus has been slowly built around the cafeteria with portions from the 1950s, 1970s, 2000 and 2013.

For the full story, see the Wednesday, Nov. 13 edition of The Graham Leader.