I am voting YES for the Lovejoy ISD bond package, and I'll explain why. Please watch the short video on the recent release of the 2023 Texas School District performance ratings at the end of my statement. It couldn't have come out at a better time.
Although Lovejoy ISD is not mentioned in the video because it's such a small district, we received an A rating rating again (here's the link to look it up), just like we have every year for as long as I can remember. Lovejoy ISD residents are voting on a $276 Million school bond package right now and there's a lot of discussion as to whether it's just too much.
I remember 23 years ago we had another very hot topic. We were voting whether we should split Lovejoy Elementary off from Allen ISD and build our own school district. The debate was just as contentious back then.
Many felt Lovejoy would benefit by building a smaller, more personal and inclusive school district for all students. Others were convinced we'd never be able to support an independent school district. It would be too expensive and we didn't have the tax base without commercial. We also wouldn't be able to offer as many programs as Allen ISD.
We decided the benefits of a smaller, more personalized school district was what we wanted, even if Lovejoy could not offer all of Allen ISD's programs. In hindsight, that was the right move, and it's been a wonderful ride with Lovejoy since then. I brought this up because my instincts tell me we're in the same situation right now with this bond package vote. If the bond passes, we'll be able to compete with the best school districts well into the future.
I'm the first to admit I haven't done the deep dive into our school finances, and I respect those who have. I've read their comments and analysis and they may be right for all I know. But I've chosen to trust our superintendent and Lovejoy school board members to know what we need. After all, they're the ones in the trenches and dealing with monetary issues on a daily basis.
You might find this interesting. Until last year the Texas Education Agency would provide a rating for every public school district in Texas. That stopped in 2023 because one hundred school districts sued to prevent the TEA from releasing the report. It's obvious why they did that and highlights just how important it is to have an outstanding rating. That's usually the first place parents with kids start looking when they're relocating to a new area and why Lovejoy attracts so many professionals.
Lovejoy always seems to run in the top three for TEA public school district ratings in the entire state of Texas. We're right there with Highland Park and Carroll every year. I want to keep that going but it takes a commitment from the administration, teachers, parents, students and just as importantly, money. It's no secret the best school districts are always in the wealthiest areas of the country.
We sell homes throughout Fairview, Lucas, and Parker in every school district. I've heard countless times, "Don't show me anything that's not in Lovejoy ISD" but I've never heard a single buyer say, "Just show me homes in McKinney ISD, Wylie ISD, Plano ISD, Princeton ISD, or Allen ISD."
If you live in Lovejoy, your property value has skyrocketed and the school district is one of the main reasons why. I had a frank discussion with a representative of the Collin County Tax Appraisal board several years ago when I was contesting our property tax. I asked her point blank if they assign a higher value to Lovejoy homes vs McKinney ISD. They might be right across the street from each other. Without hesitating, she said "absolutely". I can tell you first hand, as agents, we also make that adjustment on our comparable marketing analysis.
Disclaimer - Please note, I'm not speaking for our team members, many of whom live in Lovejoy with kids. I haven't even asked them how they're voting. This is my personal opinion only.
Election Day is this Saturday, May 3rd, 2025.
