Residents who live within the boundaries of the Riviera Independent School District will have the opportunity to vote themselves a property tax hike that would be almost 30 percent higher than the current tax rate used to fund the school district.

The Riviera school board wants the voters to approve an $18.5 million dollar bond issue in May to fund new buildings to cover all grades from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

School district property taxes would increase from 59 cents per day to as much as $4.71 cents per day or $211.92 to $1,695.34 per year, depending upon the value of the home, according to Southwest Securities Group, the school district’s financial advisor for the bond issue, which would be held in May.

A large group attended a school board workshop about the bond issue Wednesday night that was presented by Southwest Securities. What started out as a modest bond issue proposal of a few to several million dollars needed to make repairs to RISD school buildings, which would bring the district of 500-plus students into full compliance with Texas Education Agency standards, has grown into a bond issue aimed at constructing all new buildings rather than repairing existing buildings.

The workshop prompted plenty of discussion among groups of residents gathering before and after the bond workshop with a majority opposing such a high bond issue. The bonds would take 30 years to repay at an interest rate of 5 percent, Southwest Securities said.