Ropes ISD will be holding a $19,750,000 bond election and the proposition will appear on select voting ballots in the upcoming election. The bond aims to address educational and aging facilities as well as transportation needs to support the district’s growth. Voters must be registered with a current address within RISD for at least 30 days prior to the election.
As listed on the ballot, it is a property tax increase with the issuance of the funds for school building bonds for the construction, acquisition, and equipment of school buildings in RISD, including the rehabilitation, renovation, expansion and improvement and the purchase of the necessary sites for school buildings; the purchase of new school buses; the retrofitting of school buses with emergency, safety, or security equipment; and the purchase or retrofitting of vehicles to be used for emergency, safety, or security purposes, and the levy and imposition of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds and the costs of any credit agreements.
Should the bond election pass, the bond proceeds will be phased in based on deposits to construction in 2026 and 2028.
Phase1 will be for both construction and transportation in 2026 at $7,530,000, and will be targeted towards the addition of four classrooms at the secondary campus, four to six classrooms at the elementary campus, band hall innovations and expansion, a new track and transportation In 2028, $12,265,000 will be directed to Phase II, a CTE and Ag Shop renovation and expansion, and Phase III for a new gym and transportation Since 2018, Ropes ISD has performed two official Demographic Studies to gather information of the projected growth rate of the District; one performed in 2018 and the other in the Spring of 2024. Since that time, the district has monitored attendance and housing developments locally. Enrollment at RISD has increased from 475 students in 2020 to 670 students in 2025.
Demographic Studies project enrollment numbers of 856 students in 2028-2029, 984 students in 2030-20231, and 1,144 students in 2032-2023.
In April 2025, a Facility Planning Committee (FPC) was developed which consisted of approximately 50 parents, community members, employees, and other community stakeholders. The FPC met four times between April 21 – Aug. 4. During these meetings the committee listened to and discussed potential district needs. This included reviewing findings from a Needs vs. Wants assessment performed by the committee, district staff, district administration and the board of trustees, who assisted to determine specific items to be addressed.
School districts are required by state law to ask voters for permission to sell bonds to investors to raise the capital dollars required for projects, essentially giving permission for the district to take out a loan and pay that loan back over an extended period. The school board calls a bond election so voters can decide if they agree to pay for proposed projects.
Bond funds can be used to pay for new buildings, additions and renovations to existing facilities, land acquisition, technology infrastructure, transportation costs and vehicles, and equipment for new or existing buildings. Bonds cannot be used for salaries or operating costs such as utility bills, supplies, building maintenance, fuel and insurance.