HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – In northeast Harris County, Sheldon Independent School District is one of the fastest-growing districts.
After the bond election did not pass in May of 2022, Sheldon ISD officials say they made several adjustments including opening a 9th Grade Campus at an existing facility.
But those adjustments are a temporary fix as the district continues to grow.
“In the past 10-plus years, we have grown at a rate of about 3% to 8%. It fluctuates,” Superintendent Dr. King Davis said.
Davis says the district has about 11,000 students and more families are moving into the area as new neighborhoods are being built.
“By buildout, we will be at about 20,000 students,” Dr. Davis said.
The development promoted school leaders to pass a $247,700,000 bond referendum for the November ballot.
The bond package would build a new ninth and tenth-grade campus, expand Null Middle School and Cravens Early Childhood Academy, and add safety and security enhancements to all buildings as well as new technology.
KPRC 2′s Re’Chelle Turner spoke to parents about both propositions.
“We need the bond to pass. The growth to keep up with the growth to make sure that our children have the best future we have to continue to build these educational facilities for them,” parent Stephanie Rodriguez said.
“Right now, we are over-packed at the high school and a lot of our schools. So, we need to pass it,” parent Jenny Mendoza said.
Cravens Early Childhood Academy Principal Maria Vives says the growth makes it challenging for teachers because classrooms are packed and more students continue to enroll. If the bond passes, Cravens would get an eight-classroom expansion that can serve more than 180 students.
“We are at capacity right now. We have given up conference rooms and things like that to be able to service students appropriately,” Vives said.
If the bond passes, superintendent King explains how it would impact homeowners.
“A home valued at $200,000 would be taxed at $48 per year -$4 per month,” he said.
Residents 65 and older will be exempt from the tax rate increase.
The district plans to have a town hall meeting to discuss the bond on Nov. 2.