Lake Highlands neighbors will soon have the chance to vote on career readiness facilities, library devices and tennis court upgrades with a Richardson Independent School District bond election.

On Aug. 7, Richardson ISD trustees voted to call a bond election for November based on recommendations made by the bond steering committee. The $1.4 billion bond covers the transformation of remaining junior high campuses into middle schools, technology services and upgrades to athletics facilities. Bond 2025 is covered by a .04 cent increase to the Interest & Sinking tax rate.

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Richardson ISD’s last bond election came in 2021, when voters approved a bond package of $750 million, close to half of the requested amount in the proposed bond. Bond 2021 paid for facility maintenance and upgrades, the transformation of the Forest Meadow Junior High building and the construction of Lake Highlands Middle School.

The bond steering committee is made up of parents, staff and community members and first began meeting in the winter to bring forward a recommendation on the bond.

“We had a bond steering committee that met for about six months,” Richardson ISD Superintendent Tabitha Branum says. “We had over 40 individuals who gave up their blood, sweat and tears to bring forward this recommendation. It’s composed of three different referendums.”

While both of the Lake Highlands Learning Community Junior Highs served as pilot schools for the transition and have already been rebuilt/renovated, neighbors may be interested to hear more about the proposed Career and Technology Center. While a location has not yet been announced, the center would consolidate the district’s existing vocational training programs that currently exist independently at each high school under one roof.

Students would likely spend around a period a day at the center, where they can receive instruction and hands-on learning experiences in fields like automotive and manufacturing.

“They graduate with an industry certification that allows them to enter the workforce and have a really high living wage that would allow them to have a high quality life,” Branum says. “Or for some of our students, it might be that they are working in that industry while they’re also trying to attain their two-year or four-year degree.”

A potential location has not been announced.

Lake Highlands tennis players may be excited about another project covered under Proposition A, which will pay for nighttime lighting at the LHHS tennis courts, where they would be diverted if a proposed conversion of the tennis courts at Lake Highlands North Park is approved. Some have complained about the lack of lighting in the past.

According to a Richardson ISD estimate, under the proposed tax increase, a household in a Lake Highlands home valued at $500,000 would be subject to an annual increase of $124.

Election Day for Bond 2025 falls on Nov. 4.

Propositions

Proposition A: $1,338,600,000. Addresses facilities and instructional materials. $750 million will be used to transform the remaining six junior high campuses outside the Lake Highlands Learning Community into middle schools. District-wide facility maintenance is also covered. Further facilities upgrades supported by the proposition include construction of the Career and Technology Center, a renovation of the district’s Environmental Education Center and elementary furniture upgrades. Additionally, the proposition provides for fleet purchases and instructional materials and equipment. A small portion will be used to install LED lighting at RISD tennis courts.

Proposition B: $54,000,000. Refreshes the district’s technology inventory. The proposition would provide funding for new devices including teacher devices, paraprofessional devices, administration devices, staff tablet devices, student devices, student Wi-Fi hotspots and specialized desktops. RISD libraries would also benefit from new circulation devices, as would journalism, A/V and computer labs.

Proposition C: $7,400,000. Athletic facilities upgrades. Proposition C will provide for turf replacements at both Wildcat-Ram and Mustang-Eagle stadiums. It will also provide funding to install ramps and other upgrades to make the stadiums more ADA-compliant.