Now that voters have approved a $40 million bond for a new high school for Kingsville Independent School District, the next step will be seeking input from the facilities committee this month and applying for state assistance to help fund the project next month.

A new H.M. King High School could be completed within two years if plans materialize as projected, according to Emilio Castro, KISD superintendent.

Kingsville residents voted 970 for the bond and 612 against the bond according to unofficial results in the school board election held Saturday. KISD will canvass and certify the school trustee and bond election returns at the board meeting Tuesday night.

“The voters of the city of Kingsville united in voicing a strong commitment to children in education now and far into the future,” Castro said yesterday.

KISD wants to hear from

KISD all the stakeholders that include students, teachers, and community members before they meet with the architects, according to Castro.

He said the construction of the high school will be in three different phases.

KISD will be working on an application for state assistance funds that will provide 43 percent of the principal and interest payments on the bond.

The bond issue will be subject to obtaining state assistance from the Texas Education Agency through the IFA, Instructional Facility Allotment, and the EDA, Existing Debt Allotment or other state/federal programs.

Beginning in January, Castro and KISD school officials conducted 52 town talks speaking to individuals, groups and organizations presenting information on the bond issue and the need of a new high school. KISD officials also emphasized they had an opportunity to obtain state funds this year.

During the public presentations the superintendent detailed the present state of H.M. King High School. The facility is almost 50 years old, and does not support the educational standards of today’s technological world. Ninety five percent of the classrooms are 67 percent smaller than minimum standards.

The facility has foundation movement, shifting, and cracking and rainwater seeping into walls and has some safety issues such as congestion in inadequate hallways, and entrances; the exits restrict general daily access and emergency evacuation.

These were some of the facility issues included in a 2007 report by the Texas Association of School Administrators, TASA. KISD commissioned TASA to conduct the educational facilities study and listed the current numerous high school building deficiencies.

KISD board analyzed the study and sought recommendation from La Marr Womack and Associates who are the district’s architects. The architects noted that the cost for renovation and repair was compared to the cost of the new construction and long term operating and maintenance costs. Replacement of the building was the most cost effective solution to the solutions listed in 2007 TASA report. KISD board voted unanimously to approve the proposed bond to replace the high school. Haiti