Eight amendments to the Texas Constitution were solidly approved by Texas voters on Nov. 2. Meanwhile, voters went to the polls in Royal ISD to determine whether the district would receive authorization for a proposed $99.5 million bond package to add new campuses and refurbish others – and said no to the bond.

Ballots against the bond were cast by 494 (57.24%) of the district’s 863 voters with 369 (42.76%) voting in favor of the proposition.

Had the bond been approved by voters, it would have gone to construction of a new pre-kindergarten to fifth grade elementary, a new junior high school, renovations to the existing junior high, the district’s Early Childhood Center, STEM Center, Royal Elementary and expansion of the RISD Transportation center.

Those facilities are all in disrepair due to age and a lack of funding, according to district officials. Superintendent Rick Kershner, who took the lead at RISD in August of 2020, said during multiple community meetings that the infrastructure in existing buildings needed serious repair and the district would have to expand its campuses to handle oncoming growth as at least 10 new subdivisions spanning more than 4,000 acres are being built within RISD’s physical boundaries. Those developments include Freeman Ranch and Crystal Lakes.

That population growth is expected to double or more the size of RISD’s student body in the next several years, RISD officials said.

With the additional land value in the district as industrial and residential sites are improved, the district anticipated being able to reduce its ad valorem tax rate by about a penny per $100 in value. However, in discussions with the public, multiple community members said they were concerned about tax bills going up despite the rate decrease due to increases in property value as assessed by the Waller County Appraisal District.

With the passage of the state-level propositions, the Texas Constitution will:

• Allow sports teams’ charitable foundations to conduct charitable raffles at sporting events.
• Allow counties to finance the redevelopment of infrastructure in unproductive, underdeveloped or blighted areas.
• Disallow limiting religious gatherings via executive orders at the state or lower levels.
• Adjusts qualifications to become a justice with the Texas Supreme Court and other high courts.
• Grants additional powers to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct regarding candidate eligibility.
• Allow residents to designate an essential caregiver that cannot be denied entry into an assisted living facility.
• Exempts the surviving spouse of a member of the armed services who is killed in the line of duty from paying property taxes.