East Texas

From STAFF REPORTS

LONGVIEW - The Longview Independent School District board of trustees approved a $266 million bond proposal on Monday.

The proposal will go before district voters on May 10. Early voting begins on April 28.

The bond proposal includes consolidating 11 elementary schools, many of them more than 50 years old, into seven K-5 schools. The projected cost for the elementary school portion is $121 million.

Board members also chose to rebuild all three middle schools at a cost of $107 million. Brian Bowman, district spokesman, said Foster Middle School, the district's oldest building, will remain in use for offices. A new middle school campus will be built to house the Foster Middle School students.

Another $34 million will be allocated for updates at Longview High School, including a new fine arts center. About $4 million more will be used to make technology upgrades throughout the district.

Bowman said the average home value in Longview is $85,000, so the average homeowner could expect to see a $318 increase in their yearly taxes, or an extra $26 per month.

The district's bond steering committee plans to conduct several public hearings between now and May to educate the public about the proposal and hear any concerns. The district will also host campus tours of the elementary and middle schools throughout the month of March.