When an East Texas school board voted last week to hold a $22.2 million bond election for school construction and renovation, many observers may not have immediately thought of the region’s booming population, but the two are inexplicably linked.
In the last quarter century alone Texas has added well over 10 million people to the state’s overall population, which now tops 31 million, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Several primary engines of this growth, according to analysts, include a good economy, no state income tax, and a lower cost of living compared to other states.
And According to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), one of the faster growing metro areas statewide, and in the percentage of new jobs remains Tyler, Texas. The latest population forecast, projects another 3.1% jump in five years, and 6.6% over the next ten, according to projections from Synergos Technologies, Inc. The U.S. Census Bureau shows that Tyler has already grown by 6.36% since 2020.
But such growth can sometimes come at a cost, often referred to as growing pains. That’s because more people typically means a strain on an area’s infrastructure. Such strain can reveal itself in everything from bumper-to-bumper traffic during certain parts of the day, to over-crowding and space concerns at area schools.
Take Troup, Texas, for example. Its leaders describe Troup as “a small town located in the rolling hills of East Texas, near Tyler.” And it now also serves as an unintentional case study in how to avoid at least some of those growing pains. While nestled in a rural pocket of Smith and Cherokee Counties about 18 miles southeast of Tyler, Troup’s population has surged 8% in the last five years.
Ironically, that population surge has not translated into a surge of new students yet in the Troup Independent School District. District leaders nonetheless say they are well aware of the population growth and want to be prepared if, or when, that surge of students arrives. And they have big plans for growth of their own.
Troup ISD Superintendent Tammy Jones directed us to the Troup ISD Bond Issue web page which explains why last Tuesday, August 12, the Board of Trustees called a bond election for $22,205,000 to be held on November 4, 2025. This website includes separate segments on how the bond package was developed, what is included in the bond package, and how this will affect tax rates. The site gives exacting details on the construction, renovations and improvements at the district’s elementary and high school campuses.
Jones explained, “We’ve got facility needs whether we have any growth or not. And the academic model and how education looks has changed so much over the course of time and the requirements from the state that we’re required to provide and the increased number of students that need those programs that are outside of the regular setting have caused us to need additional classroom space.”
The estimated tax increase is expected to be 28 cents for a total tax rate of up to $1.12 per $100 assessed value. The segment provides its own monthly tax impact calculator for a person to figure out their own tax change. One example provided: a home with an appraised value of $150,000 would see a monthly increase of $2.39.
Jones wanted to point out that improvements will also be made at Troup Middle School using existing funds.
