FAQs

A bond is similar to a home mortgage. It is a contract to repay borrowed money with interest over time. Bonds are sold by a school district to competing lenders to raise funds to pay for the costs of construction, renovations, and equipment. Many school districts in Texas utilize bonds to finance renovations and new facilities. 

Bond funds can be used to pay for new buildings, additions and renovations to existing facilities, land acquisition, technology infrastructure, technology devices, equipment for new or existing buildings, buses and district vehicles. Bonds cannot be used for salaries or operating costs such as utility bills, supplies, building maintenance, fuel, and insurance.

School districts are required by state law to ask voters for permission to sell bonds to investors in order to raise the capital dollars required for projects such as renovating existing schools. Essentially, the voters are giving permission for the district to take out a loan and pay that loan back over time, much like a family takes out a mortgage for their home. A school board calls a bond election so voters can decide whether they want to pay for proposed projects. 

The 2023 bond proposal asks voters to consider giving Duncanville ISD authorization to issue bonds to fund capital improvement projects at existing schools, safety and security, technology, and build an addition for Career and Technical Education at Duncanville High School.  

Development of the bond proposal was an in-depth process of information gathering, research and community input. This included a comprehensive facility assessment and campus utilization study. The Citizens’ Facility Advisory Committee, made up of two dozen citizens, community leaders, campus staff, and parents, met over the course of the summer of 2023 to study and prioritize the district’s needs before making a recommendation to the Board of Trustees. During their meetings, the Committee studied facility conditions, toured facilities, looked at projects that were completed in the 2014 bond program, and reviewed financial data and results of a community survey. Following the committee’s recommendation, the Board voted unanimously to call for a November 2023 bond election. 

Duncanville ISD will schedule projects over the next several years and will communicate timelines to the community throughout the life of the bond projects.

The total bond amount for all projects is $170,000,000.

Residents 65 and over are eligible for an “over 65” exemption. If you have applied for and received the age 65 and older exemption on your homestead, by law, your school taxes cannot be raised above their frozen level. The amount of taxes you pay is determined by the tax amount at the time your taxes were frozen. 

The Comptroller's website has a list of Frequently Asked Questions.

If the 2023 bond referendum is approved by voters in November, the current I&S tax rate may increase from $0.32 to $0.3685 (per $100 of property value). However, the district anticipates the total tax rate to be reduced due to state compression of the M&O tax rate. Additionally, the state's homestead exemption could increase from $40,000 to $100,000 if approved by Texas voters in November. If the Duncanville ISD bond package and the homestead exemption are approved by voters, the district anticipates the total tax rate to be no more than $1.1313 per $100 of assessed property value which is lower than the current total tax rate of $1.2529 per $100 of assessed property value. View the Tax Information page to learn more.

Even though the Duncanville ISD tax rate has gone down every year for the past five years, your taxes are or may be higher due to the overall property value growth, not the tax rate. Your home value is set by the Dallas Central Appraisal District, and when your home value increases, so does your bill.

Also on the November Election ballot, voters will likely see the largest tax relief bill go to a vote. The state is proposing to increase the homestead exemption from $40,000 to $100,000 which would save the average property owner roughly $1,200 on their annual tax bill. 

Yes, we have been monitoring public and commercial construction projects and costs in other school districts. During the Citizens’ Facility Advisory Committee, we heard from industry experts and district leaders have discussed strategies to be proactive to receive the best costs possible in the current climate. We have planned for inflation by including funds for escalation and contingency in our bond project budgets.

By law, bond funds can only be used for capital projects like construction, renovation, equipment, and buses.

The grade level realignment will create fewer transitions for students between schools, create increased opportunities for choice, and allow for a dedicated early childhood academy.

The attendance boundaries will stay the same. Students currently zoned to Smith Elementary will attend Daniel when it transitions to a K-5 campus. Students currently zoned to Central Elementary will attend Hardin when it transitions to a K-5 campus. 

These changes won’t happen until the 2025-2026 school year, at the earliest. District and campus leaders will communicate changes in advance and will create opportunities for students and families to tour their new school and become involved in school activities and programs.

Smith will be renovated to create PreK classrooms and age-appropriate facilities. Smith will transition to an Early Childhood campus that serves 3 and 4-year-olds.

Central will be renovated to create modern learning spaces and to update common areas. Central will transition to a Choice Academy that serves students in kindergarten through 8^th grades.

Throughout the planning and design process, architects will prioritize maintaining the character of each campus while also working to ensure the facilities incorporate thoughtful design solutions with refreshed learning environments that meet today’s ADA-accessibility, safety, security, and learning standards.

Students at both stand-alone choice schools will have access to fine arts programs. Central Elementary currently has a signature program focused on Digital Media and Performing Arts. We will maintain this signature and enhance the offerings for the K-8 students who choose to apply for this school. Brandenburg will also have fine arts opportunities; however, the type of choice program has not been finalized at this time.

A dedicated CTE wing could potentially provide dedicated space for P-TECH, agricultural sciences, architecture, cosmetology and barbery, culinary arts, fashion and merchandising, and interior design. The proposed site for the addition is near the northwest corner of the building providing a modern entry façade easily recognizable and front-facing for community patron access. This location is near the student drop-off/pick-up area along Camp Wisdom Road and will not disrupt current campus bus/parent pick-up and drop-off.

The 2023 bond proposal focuses on classrooms, core spaces (restrooms, etc.), and security. When developing a recommendation for this bond referendum, the Citizens’ Facility Advisory Committee wanted to have a package that would have as minimal of a tax impact as possible. This bond may require an increase to the Interest & Sinking tax rate, but the overall tax rate should be lower than last year due to state compression of the Maintenance & Operations rate. Athletic and fine arts projects were not prioritized over other campus improvements with the bond funds available.

Anyone who is a registered voter and lives within the Duncanville ISD boundaries is eligible to vote in this election.

Visit the Texas Secretary of State’s “Am I Registered?” webpage or the Dallas County Elections webpage.

If you’d like to register to vote for the first time, complete a Voter Registration Application. Voter registration applications are available in most government buildings and at Duncanville ISD campuses and facilities. You can also begin the voter registration process online. To vote in the November 2023 election, your voter registration application must be postmarked by Tuesday, October 10. If you need to update your name or address, you can make those changes on the Secretary of State’s website.

Polling locations will be added soon. Visit the Dallas County Elections Department website for more information.

Hours for polling locations are shown below.