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August 19, 2008

NISD to call for $126.1 million bond

Mary Meaux

NEDERLAND — Nederland ISD trustees approved an order calling for a $126.1 million bond during a meeting Tuesday night.

The bond will be used to build three new elementary schools; a new C.O. Wilson Middle School; heating, ventilation and air conditioning work for Central Middle School; main building modernization at Nederland High School; new press box and turf for the field at Bulldog Stadium; and land purchase and modifications to the alternative education.

Early voting will be from Oct. 20 through Oct. 31 and voting will be held during the general election on Nov. 4. Since the district election will run separately from the county, there will be 12 early voting locations, officials said.

Trustees were busy with two other issues as well: adopting the 2008-’09 tax rate and budget.

Melissa Wong, business manager, announced the tax rate of $1.12 per $100 valuation.

The newly adopted budget shows $33.2 million in revenues and $35.1 million in expenditures for a $1.8 million deficit.

Some of the expenditures will go towards personnel. Starting teachers will now earn $37,000 per year and employees will see a 3.5 percent general wage increase from the mid-point.

Trustee Richard Cox did not vote in favor of the budget. The veteran board member said he was in office during the last bond election and remembers a commitment made to voters at that time.

“I was here when we passed the last bond project and now we’re cutting preventative maintenance,” he said. “We made that a commitment.”

Preventative maintenance chops into the district’s budget and was discussed at a mid-July budget workshop. Some of the projects include replacing the concrete at the bus barn near the gas tanks, new playground mulch and work on the public address system.



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