Canutillo ISD seeks voter approval on multi-million dollar bond measure
EL PASO, Texas-- Early voting for the Canutillo Independent School District's multi-million dollar bond is underway this week.
If passed, the bond will allocate $177.5 million dollars to school facilities for maintenance projects, and the new construction of campuses. The other $10 million would go to refinance older maintenance tax notes.
Canutillo ISD officials said now is the best time for this bond because of the low interest rates, the district's credit rating is good and there is strong residential and commercial growth in the area.
CISD said in a flyer displayed at one of their schools that taxpayers would not see an increase on the tax rate if they approve the bond, but officials did not mention that it is just for one year and they can not guarantee it beyond that.
The district's website said projected growth and historic low interest rates will offset the tax burden, plus some old debt is being paid off so new debt would take its place.
ABC-7 asked how long taxpayers will have to pay for this debt and a spokeswoman said that those decisions will be made, if and when, the bond is approved.
Schools like Alderete Middle School, the oldest functioning building in the CISD district, will receive a new campus and the current building will be transformed into the new Canutillo central office.
“We need to be at the center of everything, to provide services for the entire community. We serve the entire system of 10 schools and all of those parents need the services that we provide centrally," said Executive Director of Technology Oscar Rico. “Our schools now look like what they used to 100 years ago. but they need to mirror very different conditions. So its time to upgrade, its time to really provide for our children what they need, what they deserve.”
Rico said the new campus will be on the northwest side of the city, which is where they are seeing the most need for schools due to the growing population.
Still, he adds that all schools in the district will be touched by this bond, by one project or another.
A spokeswoman told ABC-7 that the superintendent hopes to deliver on all the projects within 3 to 5 years.
