SFDR-CISD and Val Verde County Share New Details and Documents on $50M Bond Election
- Stevie Quilo
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Val Verde County voters will decide the outcome of a proposed $50 million bond for the San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District (SFDR-CISD) in a special constitutional amendment election on November 4, 2025. The bond is intended to fund major infrastructure improvements at four schools: Bobby Barrera Elementary, Del Rio Freshman, San Felipe Middle, and Buena Vista Elementary.
In an interview with the Del Rio News Network, SFDR-CISD Superintendent Dr. Carlos Rios described the projects as "providing basic services in the most efficient manner." He said they are targeting full construction completion within 4.5 years. ERO Architects was contracted to draft renderings of the new campus looks, and Dr. Rios presented the concepts at various meetings this August.
The first project could break ground as soon as June 2026. Roberto “Bobby” Barrera Elementary (RBB) serves 150 students from the Laughlin Air Force Base community. Dr. Rios said when the school was founded in 2017, it was promised to be transformed into brick & mortar within five years. Eight years later and RBB is still a collection of “portables only,” Dr. Rios explained. $6-7 million would be dedicated to transforming RBB into a permanent campus. This project is already fully designed and “shovel ready.”
The Freshman Center is “likely to be the second project,” said Dr. Rios. Groundbreaking at the Del Rio Freshman School is projected as soon as November 2026. $20-22 million is budgeted to cover costs for a complete “tear down and two-story rebuild with better parking and parent loops.” Dr. Rios sketched an aerial diagram of the existing Freshman campus showing how construction could occur on the new facility without interfering with regular classes. The campus would move from having a cluster of separate buildings around a courtyard, to everything centralized under one roof. The Library / Administration building would be demolished.
Dr. Rios said one reason this is a priority is due to its large scale. A part of his strategy to reduce long term expenses for SFDR-CISD is by investing in the Freshman Center before construction costs rise further. The option of renovation was investigated prior to pursuing new construction, but Dr. Rios said estimates came in around “the same cost for renovation as for new.” Dr. Rios explained that the electrical system is a half-century old and “cannot maintain laptops for every student. He said the “remodeling is to better serve the students of today.”
With the remaining bond funds, San Felipe Middle School (SFMSS) and Buena Vista Elementary School would receive renovations estimated at $10 million each. SFMSS is slated for a new practice gym and more. Dr. Rios said their goal is for “every middle school to have at least two gyms.” Also, Buena Vista is the oldest building still being utilized within SFDR-CISD. Dr. Rios said they would like to upgrade the cafeteria, hallways, and air conditioning.
SFDR-CISD conducted a financial analysis to see the feasibility of repayment. They plan to repay the bond in 30 years, a shorter repayment period than the legal maximum of 40 years. The bond is estimated to cost taxpayers upwards of $98 million by the end of its predicted 30-year payoff period, when you account for the projected 5% interest accrual. The maximum interest rate authorized by the bond election would be 6%, which would result in more than $100 million in total expense.
SFDR-CISD has budgeted the bond payoff to be fully covered by existing tax rates and property values.
Dr. Rios provided documentation from PFM Financial Advisors LLC that showed comparisons (comps) to other school districts and analysis of impact over the next 30 years. According to PFM’s analysis, SFDR-CISD is due to have a significant decrease in outstanding debt obligation in 2026 and again in 2033. Based on these numbers, Dr. Rios said the bond should not require a tax increase.
The Val Verde County SFDR-CISD Notice of Election was published in August for the $50 million bond. The Notice of Election reads: “If approved by voters, the bonds will be secured by an ad valorem tax that is sufficient, without limit as to rate or amount, to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds and the costs of any credit agreements…” It includes the disclaimer “THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE” in all-caps at the top of every page.
The Election Notice states that Val Verde County property tax rates and average property values are estimated to “increase by 0.0%.” The Notice of Election explicitly states the tax rate after the bond would be the same as the current tax rate, $0.1877 per $100. It then clarifies: "This is only an estimate provided for Texas statutory compliance and does not serve as a limitation on any District ad valorem debt service tax rate."
All citizens residing within Val Verde County qualify to vote in the 2025 Constitutional Amendment Election. Early Voting for all precincts begins October 20 at the Del Rio Civic Center. Additional polling locations will be open throughout the county on election day November 4, 2025.
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