By Mark Archibald
The Corsicana ISD Board of Trustees adopted a motion authorizing the sale of up to $205 million in building bonds, at the Feb. 23 regular Board meeting. The action clears the way for district officials to finalize pricing on the bond issue.
The board approved a parameter bond order, which delegates final pricing authority to district pricing officers who are Superintendent Stephanie Howell and CISD’s Executive Director of Finance, Sean Kays.
The district’s financial advisor, Jeff Robert, with Hilltop Securities, presented current market conditions to the board.
He noted the 20-year Bond Buyer Index stood at 4.79 percent as of February 12, 2026.
The parameter order established a maximum True Interest Cost of 5.50% as a conservative ceiling.
The bonds carry a final maturity date of February 15, 2056.
Taxpayers should expect an initial debt service tax rate of $0.5000 per $100 of property valuation.
“If those tax base assumptions are outpaced by actual growth, that rate will come down even further,” Robert said.
The Board also approved the 2026-2027 district calendar. Students will have their first day on Aug. 12.
The last day of school is scheduled for May 21, with CHS graduation also planned for that day.
Other key dates include a fall break from Sept. 28 through Oct. 2, 2026. Students will also have a full week off the week of Feb. 8, 2027.
Staff will have professional development days on Feb. 8 and 9 for professional development, with Feb. 10 serving as a comp day for staff.
Trustees also approved switching internet providers. The move to Fiber Fed is expected to cut annual costs by nearly 96%.
FiberFed, was selected over three other competing companies after a competitive bid process bidders were AT&T, Vero Fiber, and the district’s current provider, Nextlink.
The total three-year contract value is $63,867.90.
However, through the federal E-Rate program, the district qualifies for a 90 percent discount. Corsicana ISD will be responsible for just $6,386.79 over three years, or approximately $2,128.93 per year.
Before adjourning Monday’s meeting, the Board also approved the consent agenda.
The CISD Board of Trustees meet regularly at the Kent Rogers Administration Building located at 2200 W. Fourth Ave. in Corsicana.
