Royal ISD is already exceeding prior growth projections, making it critical to build more new facilities to house new students coming to the district, Superintendent Megan Pape told attendees at the October 21 meeting of the Brookshire Chamber of Commerce.

The district is presenting its second bond package to voters in November, following the successful passage of the 2023 bond issue. The current package was initiated in the spring prior to her arrival at the district, Pape said. “What is on the ballot has come from the community,” she said.

The 2025 bond issue contains three propositions:

· Proposition A: $350,632, 995.00 for a new 3000-student high school

· Proposition B: $9,540,000.00 for renovation of the athletic stadium facilities

· Proposition C: $6,000,000.00 for land acquisition for future school facilities

Proposition A would build a new high school, which would continue to be the only high school in the district, Pape said. If the bond package is passed, the existing high school would be converted to a new junior high school. The new high school would include a new livestock barn where students would have the facilities to raise animals as part of the agriculture program, allowing those who live in subdivisions the ability to participate. A contract for purchase of 140 acres of land for a new high school – funded by the 2023 bond – has already been signed Pape said. Nick Gonzales, RISD director of Career and Technical Education, said that the land is generally off of 362 north of the future Morton Road and south of FM 529, but was unable to give further detail since the contract is still being finalized.

Proposition B would renovate Falcon Stadium, which was built in the 1960’s, and bring it into compliance with requirements specified by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and by the University Interscholastic League, which regulates athletic competitions in Texas. The current facility has only six lanes for track, while the UIL requires eight lanes.

Proposition C would provide funding for the purchase of land for other future school facilities.

Early voting, which started October 20, continues through October 31 and Election Day is November 4.

Current enrollment at Royal High School is now more than 1000 students, which has grown from 985 in early October. The “functional capacity” of the current facility is 772 students, Pape said. To address the overflow, the district has brought in several portable buildings at a cost of

$250,000.00 each, which includes the installation of technology and safety measures. The portables quickly depreciate and lose their value, Pape said.

But the district is poised for even more growth. According to projections from demographers Population and Survey Analysts (PASA), 15,462 more homes are planned within the boundaries of the tiny rural district. PASA estimates that those households will bring 9000 to 11,000 more students to the area in the next five to seven years, using a multiplier of 0.5 students per household. Pape said that the number could be even more. The district conducted “growth tours” on October 19, allowing area residents to see the explosive development first-hand.

Pape explained how school funding works, outlining the realities of state funding which is based on average daily attendance and describing a district’s budget which is made up of maintenance and operations (M&O) and interest and sinking (I&S). Both budget segments have specific restrictions on how funds can be spent, Pape said. She also explained that as a “property-rich” district, Royal has been designated a “recapture” district, meaning that the district has to send funds back to the state if it collects more local property tax revenue than the state-mandated limit per student. The state then reallocates those funds to poorer districts in order to ensure that all students have access to similar educational opportunities.

The superintendent also described the potential tax impact of the bond package on local property taxes. A home with an appraised value of $300,000.00 and a taxable home value of $160,000.00 (assuming passage of the new homestead exemption if approved by Texas voters in November) would be an increase of $214.72 annually or $17.89 per month.

Pape said that the RISD board of trustees have worked to lower the district’s tax rate, reducing the rate from $1.528 in 2018 to $1.069 in 2025. However, appraised values have increased during that time, she said. Homeowners older than 65 might not see a tax increase at all, because their taxes may be capped. To see the district’s bond website and tax calculator, visit https://www.royalisdbond.com.