Princeton residents are to vote Saturday, May 6, on a $797 million school bond proposal as well as choose members of the Collin College Board of Trustees.

Thursday, April 6, is the deadline to register to vote and early voting begins Monday, April 24, and runs through Tuesday, May 2, in the Princeton Municipal Center, 2000 E Princeton Drive. The last day to apply for a mail-in ballot is Tuesday, April 25.

To be eligible to vote in Texas, voters must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of the county where the registration application is submitted, at least 17 years, 10 months old at the time of the application and 18 years old on election day, not declared mentally incapacitated and not a convicted felon unless certain eligibility requirements are met.

More information can be found at votetexas.gov.

Voter registration applications can be found online at sos.state.tx.us and must be filled out and returned to the Collin County Voter Registrar’s Office.

To help cope with the growth over the next decade, trustees have planned to build eight new campuses, financed with $797 million in bonds on a May 6 election ballot. 

There will not be an increase in the current school tax rate, district officials have said. 

“Our taxpayers will pay the same tax rate next year regardless of the bond,” Philip Anthony, executive director of operations, said at the board’s Monday, Jan. 26, meeting in which trustees accepted the recommendations of the PISD Long-Range Planning Committee and approved names for the new schools.

The bond proposal will be presented to voters in a single ballot proposition reading, “Proposition A – School Buildings, Infrastructure & Improvements.” 

The district plans to build one early childhood center, four elementary campuses, two middle schools and one senior high school. 

If funded, the district proposes that Trina Perkins Early Childhood Center would open in 2025, Joyce Cantrell Elementary would open in 2026, Tom Banschbach Middle School would open in 2026, Larry and Sandra Abbott Elementary would open in 2027 and Philip Anthony Senior High would open in 2029. Anthony was PISD superintendent for 20 years before retiring from the post in 2020. He was rehired as executive director of operations to help with construction and facilities. In addition, Diane Talley Elementary would open in 2030, Maurice Hill Elementary would open in 2031 and McMahan (family) Middle School would open in 2032.

Three positions on the Collin College Board of Trustees will be on the May 6 ballot.

Place 1 pits incumbent Fred Moses against challenger Megan Wallace. The race for Place 2 has incumbent Jay Saad running against two challengers: Scott Coleman and Philip Timmons. Place 3 also has three competitors: incumbent Stacey Donald and challengers Cathie Alexander and Joe Minissale.

Connor Pittman contributed to this story

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By Bob Wieland | [email protected]