By Scott Mahon
Editor

Comal Independent School District’s $205.85 million bond issue drew 3,000 early voters before Saturday’s election.

Voters cast 300 ballots in early voting for the Bulverde mayoral race, according to City Secretary Tiffany Littlepage.

Incumbent Mayor Sarah Stevick is facing two challengers, Ray Jeffrey, vice-chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission, and former Councilwoman Cindy Cross.

Early voting began April 28 and ended Tuesday.

Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Voters in the city election will vote at City Hall, located at 30360 Cougar Bend.

Voters will have to vote in their respective precinct for the CISD bond election.

Polling locations for bond election are:

• Faith United Church of Christ;

• Community Resource & Recreation Center;

• Fischer Community Center;

• Canyon Lake Golf & Country Club;

• Spring Branch Volunteer Fire Dept.;

• Bulverde City Hall;

• Specht Elementary;

• St. Anthony the Great Orthodox Church;

• Bulverde United Methodist Church;

• Garden Ridge Municipal Complex;

• Comal Elementary.

The Comal ISD board of trustees voted unanimously Feb. 20 to call a $205.85 million bond issue in order to address the school district’s fast growth rate (about 1,000 students a year) and need for more classrooms over the next several years.

Board members were advised by their bond advisor, SAMCO Capital Markets, that the bond issue would not require a tax rate increase on the debt service portion of the tax rate because of growth in the district, increasing property values, and the district’s aggressive refinancing of “old” bond debt.

The bond issue, proposed by a 22-member Bond Citizens Committee, calls for the expansion of Canyon and Smithson Valley high schools so they may each accommodate up to 2,575 students when completed. Canyon is built for 1,750 and Smithson Valley is built for about 2,000. Their present enrollments exceed those capacities.

In addition, the bond includes three new elementary schools in the Canyon Lake area, Bulverde/Bexar County area, and Garden Ridge. Dr. Marc Walker, superintendent, announced that a fourth new elementary, Avery Park in New Braunfels, will be covered out of the current issue, Bond 2005.

Avery Park was initially in the Bond 2008 proposal but strong fiscal management and oversight on the current bond (Bond 2005) is allowing the district to build two additional elementary schools, Avery Park and Rahe Bulverde, through Bond 2005.

Four of the district’s middle schools — Canyon, Church Hill, Spring Branch, and Smithson Valley — would also be expanded in Bond 2008 to accommodate up to 1,150 through the expansion of some of their core facilities and additional classroom space.

All elementary playgrounds would be standardized and all middle school and elementary school gymnasiums would be air conditioned. Other capital projects would be done at Specht Elementary, Goodwin Frazier Elementary, Canyon Lake High, and Bill Brown Elementary.

About $8.3 million for technology upgrades to include mobile labs, laptops for teachers, video conferencing equipment, and wireless access in all schools, is included in the bond issue.

Money for land purchases for future schools and funds to handle inflation and furniture, fixtures, and equipment also are in the bond.

Comal ISD has been growing by an average of about 5.5 percent since 2003, according to Nancy Cobb, the district’s demographer, and the trend is expected to continue for at least the next seven years. That translates into about 1,000 new students a year or the equivalent of an elementary school a year.

Seven schools will be over present capacity by 2010, including Freiheit Elementary, Startzville Elementary, Smithson Valley High, Canyon High, Canyon Middle, Smithson Valley Middle, and Spring Branch Middle.

Current enrollment is about 15,100. By 2014, total enrollment is projected to be more than 22,500. Projections are that a fourth high school and a sixth middle school will probably be proposed in the next bond issue which could occur in about two years.

The district’s last bond issue, approved in December 2005, was for $189 million. Projects still under construction will be completed no later than the end of 2009. Taxpayers received a 3-cent decrease on the debt service tax rate used to cover Bond 2005 (from 30 cents to 27 cents) because of the growth, property values, and refinancing of old debt.

All Bond 2008 information and documents are available at www.comalisd.org. People can e-mail questions or requests for speakers to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .