Burnet CISD moving school board and bond election to November
The Burnet Consolidated Independent School District is rescheduling its Board of Trustees and bond election from May 2 to November 3 due to concerns over COVID-19.
“We feel postponing the elections was the appropriate decision given public health concerns related to COVID-19. For now, we are focusing our energy and resources on meeting the needs of our learners, their families, and our staff,” Superintendent Keith McBurnett said.
The Board of Trustees approved the postponement during its regular meeting March 30. The move falls in line with Governor Greg Abbott’s proclamation on March 18 that allows school boards and other public subdivisions to move their May 2 special or general elections to November.
The BCISD board did word the measure in a manner that, if the governor issued another proclamation allowing for school districts to hold elections on July 14, the date set aside for primary runoff elections, the trustees could choose that day.
BCISD has two school board positions on the ballot, places 3 and 7. Place 3 board member Suzanne Brown is running unopposed. Place 7 board member Mark Kincaid faces challenger Tricia Carr.
The district also has a bond election on the ballot. The bond includes Proposition A for $23.9 million and Proposition B for $5.76 million.
Proposition A “focuses on facility projects and the purchase of buses in order to address the following priorities: safety and security, infrastructure, learning environment, and student growth,” according to a BCISD media release. Proposition B “focuses on athletics with the following projects: construction of a weight room that includes a baseball locker room and a girls soccer locker room, and turfing the Burnet Middle School athletic field to include a six-lane track.”
Board members project adopting an ad valorem tax rate of a half-cent less than the current one in August. Even with the passage of both bond packages, the district still would have the second-lowest school tax rate in the area.
Voter registration deadline to vote in the November general election is October 5. Early voting is October 19-30. Election Day voting is November 3.
Go to the BCISD bond page for more information on propositions.
For more on how COVID-19 is affecting the Highland Lakes, visit the DailyTrib.com coronavirus resources webpage.