Baseball, softball complex FAILS during Tuesday’s election
(Seguin) – The Seguin ISD today is celebrating the outcome of only one of its two propositions that appeared before voters during Tuesday’s election.
Voters in the Seguin ISD voted in favor of Proposition A, which included $131 million of new and improved facilities district-wide. Many of those same voters, however, turned down Proposition B which included the district’s desire to build a new $7.5 million baseball and softball complex on the Seguin High School campus.
The results of the election were 6,991 votes in favor of Proposition A and 6,492 votes against it. Seguin ISD Superintendent Dr. Matthew Gutierrez says although he would have liked the approval of both propositions, he is thrilled to celebrate the approval of the district’s largest bond issue ever.
“I think it certainly says a lot that our community believes in the work that we are doing in Seguin ISD. For the number of voters that came out to show their support for over 130 million dollars of new facilities and updates, and upgrades is certainly indicative of the support that we have from our community, so I’m very thankful for that support, and our students won big this evening,” said Gutierrez.
Meanwhile, Gutierrez does admit that things would have been incredibly challenging if Proposition A failed.
“All too often, fast-growing school districts are having to play catch up in going out for bonds to address the growth that has caught up to them. And what this will afford us the opportunity to do is stay ahead of that –– to be able to build a McQueeney elementary that can accommodate 800 plus students, to allow us to be able to address the replacement of Weinert down the road, to complete phase two of the Jefferson Elementary renovations as well as looking to add space to transportation. As more families move into the district, there’s going to be a need for additional buses and additional drivers. There’s going to be a bigger interest in agricultural science, and so they’ll be able to have the facility to be able to accommodate that program, which we have not been able to do because we’ve not ever had an ag science facility. So, this is really going to allow Seguin ISD to stay ahead of that growth and be proactive rather than having to play catch up in having to invest in portables and having to find temporary space in different areas,” said Gutierrez.
Again, unlike Proposition A, voters could not stand behind the district’s attempts to build a new baseball and softball complex on the south end of the high school campus. The final results in that race were 7,969 votes against Proposition B followed by only 5,489 votes in favor of the new sports complex.
Despite voters turning down the plans for the facility, Gutierrez recognizes that the needs of the program have not gone away. Yet, he is confident that they will be addressed in the future.
“It is certainly disappointing, and I think about those current athletes and future athletes that have big dreams for that facility, and so my heart certainly goes out to them. And I know that they were out on their own time –– weekends, evenings, mornings really trying to get the word out, but we were unable to attain the support for that facility. So, I’m going to have to regroup and get with my team and come up with some ideas for moving forward along with the athletic director and share those recommendations with the board of trustees, get their input, but we’re not going to give up. We’re going to continue to work to ensure that we finish the entire high school package that includes baseball and softball. So somehow, some way, we’re going to find a way to accommodate those two programs,” said Gutierrez.
He says, ultimately, the district wants to have all extracurriculars on-site at the high school.
“We wanted to be able to especially accommodate our baseball players who have not had the luxury of having a baseball field on the campus. And, of course, they lose out on a lot of times with the travel to and from the baseball field, but I want our athletes and their parents, and future athletes and future parents to know that these discussions are going to continue. I’m not sure exactly which direction we are going to go, but it’s still going to be a priority. Right now, the community made that decision, and they did not support it. They did not make it a priority, so we have to determine what the best course of action is because we believe in the importance of students being connected to school through extracurricular programs such as baseball and softball, so we are going to come back to the table, and we will keep our community updated as we make progress through those plans,” said Gutierrez.
Despite its best efforts, Gutierrez still applauds the voters for coming out and showing their support.
“I’m very thankful for our community coming out and showing their support. I know it is a very unique time for school districts to go out for bond referendums during a time when we are experiencing inflation, and the fact that the community came out and showed their support certainly means a lot to me. And for our students, this is a huge win. It’s the largest bond that Seguin ISD has gone out for, and so I’m thankful for the community for coming out and showing their support for Proposition A,” said Gutierrez.
District officials say now that voters have spoken, plans will be put into motion as soon as possible for the projects included in the $131 million bond package. Those plans that have been echoed these last couple of months include a new McQueeney elementary campus, the creation of an Agricultural science facility, renovations to Jim Barnes Middle School, and the expansion of the district’s transportation department.
Additional items found in the bond package are district-wide security measures, roof replacements, the purchase of 18 to 20 school buses, technology infrastructure, plumbing and HVAC upgrades, land for future use, school furniture, and security.