Brownsville ISD begins laying groundwork for possible bond election

By a 4-3 vote, the Brownsville ISD Board of Trustees authorized negotiations with the Norton Rose Fulbright law firm to represent BISD should the district decide to issue a possible facilities/school construction bond later this year.

The district has been working toward issuing such a bond since October, Chief Financial Officer Alejandro Cespedes said. Cespedes chaired the meeting in the absence of Superintendent Jesus H. Chavez, who is away from the district for a planned medical procedure.

The board approved the bond counsel negotiations at a noon meeting. Later, the citizens facilities committee reviewing the district’s needs held its final meeting in the CAB cafeteria on Palm Boulevard.

The committee issued its final report, which outlines some $660 million in needed capital improvements throughout BISD.

Board members Minerva M. Pena, Carlos Elizondo and Frank Ortiz voted against the negotiations, with Pena saying the district was putting the cart before the horse. Elizondo said board members lacked information to make an informed vote.

Voting in favor were Board President Erasmo Castro and trustees Daniella Lopez Valdez, Jessica G. Gonzalez and Denise Garza.

Responding to questioning from Pena, Cespedes pointed out that the 86th Texas Legislature in 2019 revamped the requirements for calling a bond election.

“This is not approving any bond, it’s just that we have to be conscious of giving bond counsel enough time to prepare this ballot language because … we have two scheduled meetings with the board, on Feb. 6 and Feb. 10, and that is where you all, the board, will go through all the assessments … and then you all will make a decision whether you want to call a bond election. This is affording time for our bond counsel to be prepared,” Cespedes said.

“On Feb. 13, there’s going to be a special-called meeting, and that’s where the board is going to decide whether they’re going to call a bond election, and number two what it’s going to look like, total amounts, the number of propositions, and the impact on the debt tax rate,” Cespedes said after the evening meeting.

Should the board propose a bond election, it is likely to be for $350 million or more, with separate propositions for general purpose items like roof repairs, HVAC upgrades and school construction, and another for a possible BISD performing arts center.

The last time BISD went out for a bond election was in 2006, when the district built several schools.

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