Tyler

By MEGAN MIDDLETON
Staff Writer

The Tyler ISD Board of Trustees happily accepted the results of the successful Nov. 4 TISD bond election during a special meeting Thursday.

According to the now-official election results, 25,691 people, or 65.42 percent, voted in favor of the $124.9 million bond issue, while 13,577, or 34.58 percent, voted against it.

"We are incredibly pleased with the outcome of the results," TISD Superintendent Dr. Randy Reid said at the meeting.

Reid read aloud the results from each precinct.

Of the 61 precincts within TISD, three precincts voted against the bond and by very slim margins -- failing at two precincts by just one vote and failing at another by three votes.

"This communicates to me that we have communitywide support," Board President Ron Vickery said. "I think that says a lot for our district and that says a lot for our administration �"

Board Vice President Michelle Carr thanked the Vote Yes committee, which advocated for the district's bond proposal.

Under the bond plan, Clarkston, Griffin, Jones, Orr and Woods elementary schools as well as the St. Louis School for students with special needs will be replaced. The district is looking to build Jones and the St. Louis School as a joint facility.

The 2008 TISD bond election, also considered Phase 2, continues the work of the district's master facilities plan that was started in 2004 with the passage of the Phase 1 bond, which built seven new elementary schools -- six replacement facilities and one new campus.

Reid said he had a chance this week to thank former TISD Superintendent Dr. David Simmons for his past work on the 2004 bond election.

"The quality of the structures and the efficiency with which it was built in 2004 was also a great factor in the overwhelming majority of the people voting in favor (of this bond election)," he said. "We know that we have a mandate from the public. It's our job now to move forward and get this done."

Vickery called them "exciting results" and noted the district's continued commitment to building quality facilities.

Officials have said the district would like to see as many of these schools open in fall 2010 as possible, but the acquisition of land and design challenges may require more time for some projects. The district will need new land for Griffin as well as a Jones/St. Louis joint facility.

Reid said currently work is being done on the designs of the new facilities and on site preparation. Slightly modified versions of the Jack/Douglas Elementary School model, from the 2004 bond, will be used for three of the Phase 2 schools. Clarkston as well as the joint Jones-St. Louis School will have new designs.

There are plans to begin moving portables at some of the Phase 2 schools as early as Thanksgiving, Reid said.

The district will likely sell bonds at the end of January or in February, Reid said.

He said the district is trying to time the sale so it can get the best rates possible. It can continue to move forward with work in the meantime, though, because of money saved from the previous bond.

"We do expect to see work being done on all of these buildings early in 2009. They might not see structures going up, but we're probably going to see some land preparation," he said. "Today was just an official affirmation of the results. We're ready to move forward."

Trustees were given a breakdown of how each precinct voted in the district's bond election.

In all but three precincts, more votes were cast in favor of the bond than were cast against it.

Precincts 6, 37 and 67 had more people vote against the bond.

In Precinct 6, which is north of Interstate 20 and east of U.S. Highway 69, the bond failed by three votes -- 22 people voted against the bond, while 19 voted in favor of it.

In Precinct 37, which is far south of Loop 323 and mostly east of U.S. 69, the bond failed by one vote -- 24 people voted against it, while 23 voted in favor.

According to a map of the election precincts, TISD makes up only a small sliver of Precincts 6 and 37.

In Precinct 67, which is south of Texas Highway 31 West and west of Loop 323, the bond failed by one vote -- six people voted against it, while five people voted for it. TISD encompasses all of that precinct.

In several precincts, the votes in favor of the bond were more than 80 percent.

Voters in Precinct 22 passed the bond by a margin of 30 votes in favor and two votes against -- 93.75 percent to 6.25 percent. Precinct 22 is to the east of Broadway, and just north of Texas Highway 64 East within Loop 323.

Also Thursday, the board approved the order ratifying Smith County's establishment of an emergency Election Day polling place for the Nov. 4 bond election. Trustees did not meet in closed session.