Bowie County school leaders hope to receive bond to improve facility conditions

BOWIE COUNTY, Texas (KSLA) — Multiple Texas schools are voting for board members this weekend; but for two districts in Bowie County, more is on the ballot. According to school leaders, safety is the main issue.

Both Maud Independent School District and New Boston Independent School District are asking voters to approve separate bond issues.

Brian Bobbitt, superintendent of New Boston school district, said there are several projects they hope to accomplish if the bond issue passes. The main project on the list is constructing a new Career Technical Education building. Bobbitt said this is a safety issue. Students currently have to cross a city street to enter the building.

“By building this new facility, number one, it is going to make our school a lot safer and our students a lot safer walking back and forth to class because we are going to work with the city of New Boston to eventually close that road down,” Bobbit explained.

Bobbitt said they are asking for $10 million but will obtain less in an effort to help taxpayers.

School leaders in Maud, Texas, are requesting approval of a $6.5 million bond. Chris Bradshaw, the superintendent of Maud ISD, said safety plays a part in this request.

“That bond is to build a new cafeteria building and to renovate the current cafeteria building into a band hall to improve our traffic flow around the campus for safety and security.”

Bradshaw said it has been over 20 years since a major bond election has taken place in Maud. If this one is approved, it will bring a tax increase to residents.

“It will be a 22-cent increase. The average home in Maud is $91,000, and that will be about a $9.40-a-month increase on their taxes.”

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