The $51.55 million bond presented to North Lamar ISD voters met majority approval at the election poles on Saturday while electing two familiar faces, Clint Spencer and Jimmy Fendley, to the North Lamar School Board. Voters turned out in record number with 1,656 voting early and 496 voting on Election Day.
Superintendent Kelli Stewart said, “We appreciate the confidence that our community has in North Lamar ISD. On behalf of North Lamar ISD and the Board of Trustees, we want to give a heartfelt thank you to our Community Advisory Committee and to North Lamar United for the hours of planning and support that they have provided for the future of our students and staff.”
Proposition A of the $43,070,000 bond project includes a new elementary campus for grades 2-5 and renovation of Everett Elementary for the new Pre-K through first grade campus. Centralized office space for North Lamar’s Special Education staff will be created at Bailey Intermediate. Safety and security improvements along with facility maintenance and improvement projects will be made to Aaron Parker Elementary, Stone Middle School and North Lamar High School. Due to extensive structural issues, Higgins Elementary will be demolished and replaced with grass.
Proposition B for $1.8M will be for the purchase of 15 new buses and Proposition C for $405,000 will go for the purchase of new laptops, iPads and charging carts allowing a 1:1 ratio of student to learning device.
Proposition D allows $2.1M for replacing the turf at the indoor practice facility, resurfacing the track at the stadium and repairing drainage issues to the football, baseball and softball fields.
Proposition E for $4.2M is for the construction of a new fine arts building at the high school and to reconfigure existing space for shared use by the band, choir and drama departments.
The bond projects were identified by 33 community leaders, business owners, parents and staff that made up the Community Advisory Committee.
“The victory of this election belongs to our students,” said Stewart. “They are the real winners and for that we are eternally grateful to the voters that supported this bond.”
On May 10 at the monthly board meeting, the North Lamar ISD School Board will canvas the board election and the election returns for the May 1, 2021 Bond Election. At that time, Spencer and Fendley will be sworn into office and the board will reorganize.
