Make no mistake about this: The Princeton Independent School District is making a thorough effort to avoid “campaigning” on behalf of a bond issue it will ask its voters to approve in May.
The bond issue is a big’n: $797 millionĀ to build eight campuses over the next 10 years. Princeton ISD has compiled a thorough explanation of its request on its website:
Bond / Bond Information (princetonisd.net)
I was fortunate to be able to cover many of the meetings held by the citizens committee appointed to craft the proposal. They took deep dives into the cost of the project; the district’s growth projections; the impact on property owners; and even the names the district plans to attach to the new campuses.
Throughout the process, the committee was made aware of the restrictions the state places on local governments. They are empowered only to inform district residents of what they want to do; they are banned from campaigning for it using public money.
That doesn’t restrict board trustees or senior administrators from offering personal opinions on what voters should do when they go to the polls on May 6. It’s a sure-fire bet they will speak on behalf of the issue … which is OK with me.
The proposal laid out on the website is a thorough examination of the needs of a school system in the midst of a growth explosion.
It’s well done and I applaud Princeton ISD for the work it has done.