Building on Liberty Hill ISD's Success

by Charlotte Kovalchuk

CHRIS NEIGHBORS JOINS LHISD SCHOOL BOARD

“I want to be plugged in with the kids— be on school campuses, hang out, and eat lunch with them. I want them to understand there are real people in leadership who care about them.”

As Liberty Hill continues to manage the challenges of rapid growth, new school board trustee Chris Neighbors wants to support as well as unite teachers, parents, and kids. “I want to be a cheerleader for bringing teachers and parents back together and be a catalyst for cooperation where they have previously sometimes butted heads. I want to get parents involved and excited about education.”

A local business owner with 15 years’ experience serving his church’s youth group, Chris was inspired by the ISD’s success to run for a seat on the school board. “I was at a point where I could step away from my business a bit and give more to the community. I wanted to get more involved in the school district, lend my combined experiences, and help the district through all the construction. I hope to help keep Liberty Hill the amazing district it already is.”

KEEPING LHISD GREAT

Among his plans to augment LHISD’s excellence is a strategy to promote fair policy enforcement. Chris acknowledges the concerns expressed by parents and teachers about inconsistent support and enforcement of certain rules across different campuses.

He also wants to ensure prudent spending on construction projects. “With my business background, I understand what good stewardship looks like and I want to make sure we look for ways to save and be smart with taxpayers’ money.”

With a new high school under construction, Chris says he wants to lend a hand wherever needed. “I think there’s a little anxiety about having a second high school. It is a big step and I think if we handle it right and everyone goes into it with a positive attitude, it will be an amazing thing for Liberty Hill.”

Liberty Hill: Thinking BIG for Education

DESPITE THE BUCOLIC FEEL OF THE CITY OF LIBERTY HILL, WE HAVE AN ISD THAT CONSISTENTLY REFLECTS EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT. WITH A 476% POPULATION GROWTH RATE SINCE 2020, AND THANKS TO IMPASSIONED COLLABORATION WITHIN OUR CITY AND COMMUNITY, THE DISTRICT HAS TWICE FACILITATED SOLUTIONS FOR SUCCESSFULLY MANAGING THE GROWTH OF STUDENT ENROLLMENT.

Presciently, in 2020, the ISD took proactive steps to establish a long-range planning committee. The committee was reconvened in 2022 with 90 parents, teachers, students, committee members, and support staff tasked with creating a system of checks and balances and developing a prioritization framework. Their objective was to assess the area's demographics and facilities, collect data, and present an analysis of the needs.

The group began by creating subcommittees to focus on academics, enrichment/athletics/fine arts, community/culture, facilities/transportation, security and safety, fi-

nance, and technology. In addition, the committee hired an outside consulting firm to produce a traffic impact analysis report and it surprised no one that each school had a unique set of issues that required specific solutions.

Given the parameters, size of the committee, and scale of the group’s mission, the difficulty level of formulating succinct plans cannot be overestimated. However, the committee’s recommendations, unanimously accepted by the LHISD board of trustees in 2021 and again in 2023 demonstrate their remarkable achievement.

“THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES OUR STUDENTS WILL HAVE CANNOT HAPPEN WITHOUT COLLABORATION BETWEEN A SCHOOL DISTRICT AND ITS COMMUNITY.”

~ SUPERINTENDENT STEVE SNELL

BOND ELECTIONS

In 2021, to fund the recommended builds and changes, voters approved a bond package of $491.7 million. The following year, Liberty Hill’s student population jumped by an additional 23.5 percent and, once again, the committee was called upon to work its magic.

Along the way, the committee boarded a school bus to tour the 21 “Bond at Work” construction projects, visit land sites, and preview new housing developments. The goal of this field trip was to gain firsthand awareness of campus capacities, future district growth, and facility needs.

On May 6 of this year, voters approved a second bond proposal for $47 million. In compliance with a new law requiring certain projects to be listed separately, the bond is divided into three propositions and covers the following expenditures:

PROPOSITION A will provide funds for the district to build new schools, renovate old ones and add safety measures, such as access control and card readers/badge access at all campuses. It will also provide school lock-down systems for emergencies, intrusion resistant glass, security cameras, and other safety items.

PROPOSITION B will supply laptops, iPads, and Chromebooks to students and staff, with a plan for a five-year refresh cycle.

PROPOSITION C provides funding for various improvements at Liberty Hill High School, including stadium renovations, the addition of a new concession stand, and construction of additional restrooms.

WHAT ARE MUNICIPAL BONDS?

Municipal bonds or “munis” for short, are debt securities issued by government entities to fund day-to-day obligations and to finance capital projects such as building schools, highways, or sewer systems. By purchasing municipal bonds, investors are in effect lending money to the bond issuer in exchange for a promise of regular interest payments, usually semi-annually, and the return of the original investment or “principal.”

Bonds allow school districts to spread out the cost of expensive projects over time, like a mortgage. With school board approval, bonds are issued to cover the cost of projects as needed.

Bond repayment is structured as debt service and accounts for 20 percent of a school district’s budget. The general fund is not affected by the bonds and accounts for 80 percent of its budget. This covers maintenance and operations, commonly referred to as M&O.

WHY DID THE BOND REFERENDUM RESULT IN NO TAX RATE INCREASE?

Over the last five years, new home sales in Liberty Hill have increased significantly. This growth has contributed to an increase in property values, which in turn increased tax revenues. In addition, LHISD utilizes market conditions and secures low interest rates when paying down debt.

WHAT IS THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION?

Residents 65 years and older will not have an increase in their school district tax bill, even if/when property taxes increase as long as they have filed an approved Over 65 Exemption application with the Williamson County Central Appraisal District. The property must have been owned as of Jan. 1 of the tax year. For information regarding the Homestead Exemption: https://www.wcad.org/online-exemption-information/

As the city continues to grow, its schools will certainly continue to flourish along with it. As well, there is no doubt the concerted spirit of the community will recognize the need for and fuel the transformation of facilities, empowerment of educators, and the opportunities the ISD seeks to offer every student. Scan the code for more information about LHISD.