Proposition D
Prop D asks voters to approve $4,500,000 in bonds for the existing McKinney High School training pool.
Jump to why this site recommends NO
Exact ballot language
As it will appear on the ballot, from the district's election order:
PROPOSITION D
THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE“The issuance of $4,500,000 of bonds by the McKinney Independent School District for designing, renovating, improving, upgrading, updating, acquiring, and equipping the existing McKinney High School training pool, and the levying of a tax sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds.”
Full text of the proposition as written in the order
“Shall the Board of Trustees of the McKinney Independent School District be authorized to issue and sell bonds of the District in the principal amount of $4,500,000 for the purposes of designing, renovating, improving, upgrading, updating, acquiring, and equipping the existing McKinney High School training pool, with the bonds to mature, bear interest and be issued and sold in accordance with law at the time of issuance as may be determined within the discretion of the Board of Trustees; and shall the Board of Trustees of the District be authorized to levy and pledge, and cause to be assessed and collected, annual ad valorem taxes on all taxable property in the District sufficient, without limit as to rate or amount, to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds?”
What Prop D funds
The ballot language covers the existing McKinney High School training pool. The district's mailer describes it as "Pool repairs at existing facility." The mailer says: "The training pool built in 1986 is scheduled for maintenance capital repairs," and that the money would "Repair pool cracks and pool systems."
The district's bond page says Prop D "will extend the useful life of the existing training pool that was originally constructed in 1986." The district's athletics page lists these items under "MHS Swimming Pool Safety Updates & Refresh": "Update lights and improve air circulation. Replace worn pool deck, plumbing & equipment. Replace lifeguard chairs and upgrade to competition grade springboards. Update audio systems for UIL competitions." As of October 5, 2026, that page did not say which proposition pays for each item.
The numbers
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Principal | $4,500,000 |
| Estimated interest (at 5%) | $2,633,500 |
| Estimated total cost (if repaid over 20 years) | $7,133,500 |
For comparison, the district's existing bonds have $338,220,000 in principal and an estimated $89,536,726 in interest outstanding.
The district's stated assumptions
- An interest rate of 5%.
- Repayment over 20 years.
- Taxable values in the district growing 2.75% in 2027 and 2.50% a year for 2028–2032, with no growth after that.
- The district's voter information document estimates a maximum annual tax increase of $0 on a homestead with a $100,000 taxable appraised value (net of the $140,000 homestead exemption). That figure depends on the growth assumptions above. It is an estimate, not a promise, and the ballot itself says "THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE."
The election order says the 5% rate and the 20-year period "are only estimates, provided for Texas statutory compliance; they do not serve as a cap" on the interest rate or the repayment period. The bonds are to be repaid from taxes "sufficient, without limit as to rate or amount."
Debt for repairs
The district's own mailer calls the work "scheduled" "maintenance capital repairs" on a pool built in 1986. The ballot language is broader: "designing, renovating, improving, upgrading, updating, acquiring, and equipping."
The question this site raises is why the district is choosing debt for repairs it describes as scheduled maintenance, rather than paying for them from a maintenance fund. Borrowing $4,500,000 would cost an estimated $7,133,500 with interest.
Why this site recommends NO (opinion)
- The mailer describes the work as scheduled maintenance. This site thinks scheduled maintenance should be planned and paid for, not financed with 20-year bonds.
- By the district's own estimate, interest adds $2,633,500 to a $4,500,000 project.
- The ballot wording is broader than the mailer's description of "pool repairs," and the district's athletics page lists upgrades, such as "competition grade springboards," along with repairs.
Sources for this page: bond election order, the district's athletics page, and the district's printed mailer.
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