By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
For the second time in two years, voters within the Copperas Cove Independent School District boundaries will see a bond on an election ballot.
Proposition A, which totals a little more than $142 million, passed 2,884 to 2,090, or 58 to 42 percent.
This will fund renovations at Copperas Cove High School, Fairview-Jewell Elementary, and Copperas Cove Junior High School. The passage of Proposition A will raise property taxes by an estimated $19.96 per month on a property appraised at $200,000 before exemptions.
Proposition B passed narrowly, by 26 votes, 2,499 to 2,473, or 50.3 percent to 49.7 percent. With this, $12.2 million will fund a band hall addition and storage renovation, existing fine arts finishes upgrades, as well as multi-sports locker room additions and renovations. The passage of Proposition B will raise property taxes by an estimated $1.72 per month on a property appraised at $200,000 before exemptions.
Proposition C failed by a margin of 515 votes, 2,737 to 2,222, or 55.2 percent to 44.8 percent. This proposed bond was for a hotly debated covered multipurpose field at a cost of $11.2 million for use by the district’s athletics and band students.
On Wednesday morning, the district held a media conference, during which Superintendent Brent Hawkins, along with the principals of Copperas Cove High School, Copperas Cove Junior High, Fairview-Jewell Elementary, as well as the district’s Director of Career and Technical Education spoke, as did board of trustees president Joan Manning.
Hawkins told those assembled that now it is the responsibility of the district to “earn it,” referring to a scene from the movie “Saving Private Ryan.”
“And so the spirit of that moment, it is the responsibility that we have in CCISD for where we are at this moment. We went through a process that started with the Board of Trustees putting a goal in place. We had facilities that were entering the end of their life cycle and so we gathered the community committee together that really was the genesis of this whole process,” Hawkins said. “There were hours and hours and hours of workload that went into that committee. And anybody knows, when you put 80 people in the room together, that’s not an easy navigation of getting everybody together to put a plan in place and have it to where there’s, in essence, unanimous support of the committee that brought that piece back to the Board of Trustees, who unanimously supported it.”
He talked about the work that was put in to educate the community on the bond process, as there had not been a bond election for the district in 20 years. This year, the district made the last payment on its prior bond.
“This has been the most open and transparent bond that I’ve seen in my 33 years of being in public schools in the state of Texas. That was something that our community asked for. Our community wanted information, and they have a voluminous amount of information that was pushed out, and they wanted to make sure that we’re transparent in the process. I know today, transparency is a buzzword. But in essence, I think if you take a look at the website, all of that is documented there that allowed our voters to make a decision.”
Manning expressed her thanks to the voters.
“On behalf of the Copperas Cove Board of Trustees, I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the people who came out to vote for the bond proposal this year for our students and staff. We also applaud the warriors who worked tirelessly to get the truth of the bond out there, including our two facilities committees, the PAC, our dedicated board members and others who believed in the mission of our bond,” she said. “We also commend the courage of staff and others who spoke up and worked to tell the details of our bond. But we especially give credit to our great superintendent, Dr. Brent Hawkins, Hawk, for the numerous hours and sleepless nights he gave up to make sure the bond was passed. His dedication and transparent transparency are unsurpassed.”
Carlin Grammer, CCHS principal, had his turn to speak.
“We’re very excited about the changes coming to Copperas Cove High School, and the opportunities that this initiative is going to provide to our students. All our teachers will have adequate modern classrooms in which to teach our students. The expansion to the cafeteria will make sure that all our students have a comfortable seat in which to enjoy their lunch,” he said. “And probably as important as anything is the ability of us to enhance the safety of our staff and students through the things that are going to take place with this initiative.”
Robert Turner, Directo of Career & Technical Education, spoke of the upcoming changes for students who will pursue careers in trades and graduate from CCHS ready to enter the workforce.
“What this bond does is gives us 75,000 square feet of career and technical education classrooms, lab spaces, and storefronts for our students to actually work through with their practicums and their internships,” he said. “It’s just a big, big win for our students. Students in our area are not always driven to go to college, but want to go directly into the workforce. This bond gives them the tools, the learning spaces, the equipment that they need in order to be successful.”
Principal Rebekah Shuck spoke of what the bond funds will do to help her campus.
“It will provide so many opportunities for our students, safety wise, access wise and learning wise for our kids at Fairview-(Jewell), I want to thank everyone for their support, and thank you for recognizing the needs of the students at our campus, and thank you for that support that you have given us along the way,” she said. “There will be a safer environment in that they will not no longer have to walk a quarter of a mile to and from the cafeteria, to and from the library, to and from their specials areas, because this will centralize those learning areas for our kids, which will increase instructional time because there will be less transition time. Also, students won’t be exposed to the elements as they walk to those places such as the rain and the cold weather and the heat.”
Roger McNeel, principal of CCJHS, is in his first year in the district.
“Being new to the district and seeing the students go around, and could have more than what they have, is something that I talked to some people about. Kids carry themselves differently, depending on the environment they’re in. Adults do the same thing,” he said. “In two previous districts that I was in, I was able to see the benefit of that. Students acted completely different in the newer parts of the building. That’s something that our kids are going to be proud of. You’re going to see it in the community as well. So, thank you for that part. The big one for me is going to be the expansion of the cafeteria and having restrooms for my students to be able to go to, without having to go down the hallways…It’s going to all be in one spot. So that’s huge for us.”
What’s Next: Bond, Design, and Construction timelines TBD
It will likely be at least nine months or longer before the district will see “dirt” being moved and work starting on the campus projects.
Hawkins said the election results will be canvassed – made official – next week on Nov. 13. The bond issuance will commence in the spring of 2026. The bond issuance determines what interest rate and financing the district will receive, which for governmental entities is a bidding process.
“Looking at averages and my experience with former construction projects, you’re looking at about a six-month design phase, and then after that design phase, then you into the bid process. We have a construction manager agent that will take those subcontractor bids once those specs are sent out, and then they will bring those back. That’s probably three more months. So you’re looking at nine months before really you can see dirt moving, is my best estimate,” he said.
There will also be a bond oversight committee that will be alongside as the bond projects are carried out.
Also, the district will continue to provide updates to the community.
“We’ll continue to update on those projects,” said Kurtis Quillin, CCISD Director of Communications. “On the website, that shortcut is CCISDbond.com, and you can find the Take Two With Hawk podcast, where we’ll have frequent updates there.” Take Two With Hawk can be found on Apple podcasts, Spotify, YouTube.
“Anywhere that folks have been going to receive that communication from the district, they can go to those same places and get it from there, including the district social media accounts.”
At Copperas Cove High School, $107 million from Proposition A will fund roughly 152,000 square feet of classroom renovations, upgrades to 50,000 square feet of interior space, a cafeteria expansion to seat 900-plus students, a Career & Technology Education (CTE) center at 74,636 square feet with student storefronts, and upgrades to the library.
Fairview-Jewell Elementary will see nearly $22 million in upgrades, to include building renovations with all restrooms to be made accessible, classroom additions from existing spaces, and relocating Specialties and the cafeteria. The cafeteria will be centrally located. Copperas Cove Junior High School will receive a little more than $13 million in renovations, to include a cafeteria expansion with new restrooms, along with building renovations, corridor upgrades, and classroom finish upgrades.
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