How much would you pay to stop a school shooter at your kid's school?
Northside ISD is proposing a nearly $850 million school bond, one of the biggest school bonds in NISD history, and it includes bulletproofing elementary school lobbies.
Colonies North Elementary School is one of 44 schools on the list that will upgrade to a bulletproof lobby if the proposed bond is approved.
"Every time that we have had a school shooting in the country, we've attempted to try to learn from the tragedy,” NISD Superintendent Brian Woods said.
He noted that adding an extra security feature and vetting visitors before they enter the school helps keep the campus secure and safe.
About half of the schools in NISD were granted bulletproof lobbies under the 2014 bond.
The upgraded entrances require visitors to present an ID for a background check and, once a visitor is cleared, they receive a visitor pass and are buzzed in.
More than $30 million is allocated for the security upgrades but there are other plans that carry a heavier price tag.
"If I had to pick the two that are the most influential, it's the new schools and then renovations and reconstructions at our much older schools," Woods said.
Under the proposal, Pat Neff Middle School would receive more than $9 million dollars in upgrades.
"The $5.9 million would go to renovating and upgrading the campus cafeteria, which is significantly smaller," NISD Spokesperson Barry Perez said.
The district also plans to build four new schools, repair roofing, and upgrade technology at campuses.
If the school bond is passed, taxpayers would pay an extra $2.18 month in 2019 and, by 2020, an extra $22.10 a month for a home valued at nearly $219,000.
Voters can decide to approve or deny the bond on Saturday, May 5.
The last school bond was approved in 2014 but Woods says that in the last seven fiscal years, the district has not seen a tax increase.