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WHITESBORO, TX -- On election day, Whitesboro voters will decide on a $16 million school bond. Administrators say it's necessary to keep kids safe, but not everyone is getting behind the proposition.
Whitesboro ISD breaks down the bond into four categories: safety security, access control, facility repairs and technology infrastructure. 65 percent of the money is going to keeping elementary students safe. But there are some Whitesboro residents who say the price tag is too high.
The $16 million bond would pay to build a new entrance to the high school, to avoid congestion and the dangerous intersection on Highway 82.
It would fund the construction of new classrooms to accommodate the growing district. But Superintendent, Pete Slaughter, says the main goal of this bond is safety.
"Both of our elementary campuses were set up to where they were buildings that were built separately and independently from each other and were not connected," Slaughter said.
In order to get to a lot of main areas around the school, students have to walk outside, which is a big safety concern for parents and teachers
"Of course as a parent you want your kids to be safe. You keep your kids safe and you expect the school to do the same," parent Lauren Hartless said.
"We want to make sure that when our kids are dropped off in the mornings, that they can, that we can assure the parents to the best of our ability that they are in a building and that they remain in that building throughout the day," Slaughter said.
More than $10 million would go toward enclosing campuses, but not everyone thinks it's needed.
"I'm just going to vote no this time," resident Marie McClendon said.
Marie McClendon says the bond is too expensive and administrators haven't done enough to educate the public about it.
The projected monthly tax increase for someone who owns a $100,000 home is $10.27.
"There's too many people here that doesn't make that kind of money or doesn't have that much money coming in to pay," McClendon said.
For parent Lauren Hartless, the benefits are well worth the cost.
"For me there's no price tag on safety. So, for $10 a month I think that's pretty cheap to just make sure that my kid is safe," Hartless said.
Early voting for the bond begins October 22. Voting polls will be at the administration office or at the home Bearcat football games
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