Mixed Results for School Bond Elections
Preliminary data posted by the Texas Bond Review Board (BRB) of 36 ISDs — a list that was still being added to and updated as of press time — reflects that many ISDs holding bond elections had difficulty in passing bond proposals containing athletic and extracurricular related items.
- Note: Click here for the BRB’s searchable bond election database.
This was the first election under 2019’s SB30 that requires districts (and other governmental entities) to separately list bonds on their ballots calling for sports venues, performing arts facilities, and teacher housing to be voted on separately from other school bonds.
Of 20 ISD bond proposals listed by the BRB that had athletics-facility related items on their ballots, voters defeated 16 propositions totaling $387.1 million and approved four propositions totaling $28.7 million.
Technology proposals did better, with nine bond propositions totaling $514.2 million passing and one ($16.5 million) proposition defeated.
Dallas ISD had the largest ever (for Texas) total ISD bond proposals on its ballot ($3.7 billion spread over five proposals). DISD voters rejected three proposals (totaling $152.9 million) for athletic related items and approved two propositions, totaling $3.5 billion for school facilities and technology.
The second largest amount of ISD bonds on the November 3 ballot was San Antonio ISD’s two propositions — totaling $1.3 billion — for technology, school facilities and security. SAISD voters approved both propositions.
Meanwhile, Northwest ISD voters rejected all four of its bond propositions (totaling $986.6 million) for school facilities, stadium improvements, other athletic facility improvements and technology.
Scores of ISDs and other taxing entities had postponed their May 2020 bond elections until the Nov. 3 general election due to a pandemic-related gubernatorial directive — and many of them went on to either cancel or postpone their elections until 2021 as schools continued to grapple with the pandemic.