$60M PSJA school bond proposals spark taxpayer concerns

SAN JUAN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Voters in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (PSJA ISD) area are weighing in on two school bond proposals that total $60 million, raising questions about transparency and whether taxes will increase.

San Juan resident Rick Ramirez says he is not sure what to believe. The ballot language mentions a potential property tax increase, while school officials claim otherwise.

“That’s the biggest concern from everyone,” Ramirez said. “Even my neighbors—the language on there from ISD says it won’t, but the document itself says it will be an increase, so everyone is just on the loop of is it going to or is it not.”

Proposition A would direct $54.3 million toward HVAC replacements, roof repairs, parking lot upgrades, and other general renovations across the district. Proposition B would provide $5.7 million to upgrade the district’s performing arts center—something Ramirez believes is not a priority.

“That is a lot of money to go into a building that is decades out and really doesn’t have been used any time recently,” he said. “To us, it’s just another pet project instead of what is really needed.”

The PSJA school district says the bond would not raise the tax rate, citing a recent rate reduction in September. Still, Oscar Gutierrez from San Juan remains skeptical.

“This is basically a loan,” Gutierrez said. “The taxes don’t have to go up today or tomorrow, but eventually the chickens will have to come to the roost and eventually pay back what we borrow.”

District officials say the bonds would help address aging infrastructure, including leaking roofs at schools like PSJA Southwest Early College High School. The cost to fix that campus alone could top $10 million.

“It does affect their environment and culture of the campus when their roof is leaking and you have trash cans trying to collect that water,” said Rebecca Gonzalez, the district’s Assistant Superintendent for Finance. “It does affect the culture and the student learning environment.”

The district has launched a website with information on the proposals, noting that at least 12 campuses would get HVAC upgrades, seven roofs would be repaired, and four parking lots would be resurfaced if voters approve the bond.

The bonds would take 30 years to pay off. Gonzalez says that if the bonds do not pass, the district would have to dip into its fund balance, using 100% local tax dollars instead of having the state cover up to half the cost.

“If the bond election doesn’t pass, then we would have to use our money,” she said. “In a bond election, about 40 to 50 percent of our district would be paid by the state, so we are actually getting a discount to the taxpayer.”

If approved, the bonds would be sold by spring, with construction projects starting as early as late summer 2026.