Lampasas ISD’s Facilities Planning Committee provided “wish list” items during Monday’s meeting that could feature in a 2026 bond election. A new middle school sits at the top of the list.
During the meeting, committee members learned about the results of a community-wide survey undertaken in the spring and how much money the district could spend in a bond election without raising the tax rate.
WRA Architects Education Planner Kelly Trompler opened the meeting with a rundown of the survey results that included 675 responses from community members.
The survey asked respondents if they would support a bond campaign to build new educational facilities or add to existing facilities, to which 85% said they somewhat or very likely agreed.
Also, 32% of respondents reported they were somewhat or very dissatisfied with the current state of the district’s facilities.
“If that were to have been super low and everything very satisfied, we may not need to be sitting in this room thinking about what to do for Lampasas to make it better,” Trompler said.
In the survey, respondents were asked to list their wants for a potential bond election. Trompler revealed the top seven needs as listed by survey respondents:
1. build new facilities
2. renovate existing facilities
3. improve security
4. update technology
5. improve fine arts facilities
6. improve traffic flow
7. improve athletic facilities
Of those who responded to the survey, 83% said they would support a tax rate increase to improve Lampasas facilities. Meanwhile, 82% said they supported a bond election for new facilities or additions to existing buildings.
Trompler said 200 of the 675 survey responses included comments regarding bond specifics. Survey participants listed a multiple-purpose facility that could be utilized by different sports or extracurricular teams as a “want.” Respondents also signaled support for a fine arts facility/auditorium for performing arts students, school or community banquets, and indoor graduation.
Other requests from survey participants included a new middle school campus and increased security for the district’s three elementary schools, with a focus on fencing around playgrounds.
SCHOOL FINANCE
Dan Wegmiller, managing director of Specialized Public Finance Inc., provided the Facilities Planning Committee members with an overview of the district’s potential bond capacity and financial health.
The district has an AA- credit rating and $18,787,977 in outstanding bond payments. Wegmiller said it’s likely the district will receive a low interest rate on future debt payments.
“Overall, since 1961, rates are higher 43% of the time than where we are at today,” he said. “For the current time, we are around 5% as far as where you would sell at, or high 4%s. Rates over the last month have trended down, so that is a positive working in the district’s favor.”
In August, the Lampasas ISD Board of Trustees approved a tax rate of $1.0152 per $100 valuation. Of that rate, $0.26 goes toward debt payments, and $0.7552 covers maintenance and operations for the school district.
If the LISD were to seek a bond without raising the tax rate, it would have $93.265 million to spend on improvements, Wegmiller said. A five-cent increase will allow $111.085 million in spending, versus $121.339 million with a 10-cent tax increase and $126.750 million for a 15-cent increase in the tax rate.
A new middle school campus could cost around $80 million.
Wegmiller pointed out those numbers are subject to change.
“You don’t need to really drill into these $93 [million] or $111 [million],” Wegmiller. “If the projects move you to about $98 million or about $115 million, we will continue to revise these. Again, we are a decent ways away from an election and ultimately issuing bonds, so we will refine that.”
NEEDS AND WANTS
For the final 30 minutes of Monday’s hour-long meeting, committee members split into small groups to discuss their wants and needs for a potential bond.
Just as in the survey responses, committee members listed a new middle school campus as a top priority. Members signaled support for a fine arts space, and for a multi-purpose facility to help sports and extracurricular groups such as band have a space to practice indoors when temperatures are too hot outside.
Additionally, committee members listed safety and security at elementary school campuses, more space for CTE classes at the high school, new buses and improved traffic at campuses as other priorities. Also, members identified upgrades to restrooms, locker rooms and the press box at Badger Stadium as another possibility.
Lampasas High School Principal Paul Weinheimer, a member of the committee, expressed his support for an auditorium and multi-purpose facility to keep the district competitive with its neighbors.
“I’m very excited about people just talking about that, because I’m excited for our kids and [want to] give them the absolute best,” Weinheimer said. “I’ve talked with several schools around us. They have these, both of them, or just passed a bond to build them. If we want to continue to compete and give our kids the absolute best compared to those around us, it is important we have these conversations.”
After the discussion, Trompler told committee members next steps will include a look at dollar amounts for priorities mentioned by committee members.
“We will have you look at the things you talked about with budgets associated with them, and then we are going to have you prioritize those,” she said. “I’m yet to work with a school district that can do everything on their needs and wants list.”
The next Facilities Planning Committee meeting will be Oct. 27 at 5:30 p.m. in the LMS cafeteria. Community members not on the committee may attend if they wish.
