The Hearne ISD Board of Trustees has big dreams for their students and they are hoping that the community will show up at the polls this May to give those plans the financial thumbs up. May 4, 2024 will be the final day to vote in Hearne on a proposed bond that would raise funds for a laundry list of improvements to all three campuses in HISD. The bond has several sections to approve and each section provides funds for different things that the district wants to improve. First up, safety improvements are in order, as the State Legislature has increased safety measures that all schools must take, as well as safety measures that the district wants as well. Security vestibules for the elementary and junior high schools are on the list, along with other security upgrades for all three campuses. Also in the bond are technology upgrades for all three campuses. With STAAR testing and other statewide testing being moved to online only, the schools need upgrades to their servers and computers to ensure that their students can have a streamlined testing process. Other campus upgrades, including HVAC upgrades, an enclosed bus barn and the demolition of the old nursing home to be repurposed in the future, can all be achieved with money from the bond, if passed. The recent improvements to Wood Feild were wonderful, and the district would like to continue the improvements with new restrooms and locker rooms, as well as expanding the press box and fixing up the parking lot. “We really appreciated the community coming out to support us and Wood Feild looks great now! We’ve given our kids an exceptional place to train and compete. We want to continue to make improvements that will benefit the fans of the Eagles as well, by upgrading the facilities that they use as well as make visiting teams more comfortable when they come to visit,” explained Dr. Adrain Johnson, when discussing the potential upgrades. One of the things that the trustees are rooting for in this bond package, is the potential upgrades to playground equipment. The equipment at the elementary school is aging and it needs to be replaced with newer equipment for safety reasons. If the bond passes, then any new equipment that would be added to the playgrounds will be every ability usable. “Our kids with special needs and different abilities deserve to be able to play with their friends and schoolmates and we’re looking at equipment that can be used by any kid of any ability for our school grounds. Every kid on any of our campuses should have the ability to enjoy recess and play and it is very important for the social and physical development of our students to be able to have exercise and play time,” reiterated Johnson. Residents of Hearne ISD are encouraged to join the board of trustees and the superintendent on April 15, at 7:00 pm at a town hall meeting to discuss the bond election and the specifics of the bond. The district would like to hear from local residents, businesses and other taxpayers about what they would like to see from the bond, and answer any questions folks might have about the proposal. Early voting for local elections begins on April 22 and voters from HISD can cast their ballots from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm through Friday, April 26 at the Hearne Municipal Building. The week of the May 4 election there will be three days to vote; Monday, April 29 and 30 as well as election day, voters can visit the HMB from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.