Breckenridge ISD proposes $39M bond for new elementary school

BRECKENRIDGE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – As early voting continues, residents have many items to consider on the ballot. In Stephens County, that includes a bond from the school district as Breckenridge ISD seeks to fund a new elementary school.

A committee discovered that the elementary schools were one of the district’s top improvement projects. Superintendent Prairie Freeman says the bond would combine the two campuses into one.

“Both of our elementary schools were built in the late fifties, so there were a lot of needs that the committee felt like could be met by proposing a new elementary school,” Freeman said. “A new structure would encompass new learning spaces, a new gym, a new library, a new cafeteria, updated technology infrastructure, of course, updated safety requirements, and an updated traffic pattern for the elementaries.”

The proposed building has a $39 million price tag, and Freeman explained the district is also pitching in.

“The total bond amount is $39 million. The district has also pledged upwards of more than $5.5 million to fully fund the project,” Freeman said. “In Breckenridge, the average home is a little over $145,000. Should the homestead exemption pass, then it would impact taxpayers approximately $20 annually.”

If passed, the district would start the design phase in the winter of 2025, with construction beginning as late as summer 2026.