Largest Bond In Texas History: HISD Proposes $4.4B Bond For School Upgrades

Houston ISD has unveiled a historic $4.4 billion bond proposal, marking the largest in the district’s history and potentially the most substantial ever presented to Texas voters.

According to the Houston Chronicle, the bond will include three primary allocations.

1. School Upgrades ($2.05 billion): This portion is earmarked for rebuilding, renovating, and modernizing over 40 campuses identified with “urgent facility needs.”
2. Safe and Healthy Campuses ($1.35 billion): Funds will be directed towards updating HVAC systems, securing campuses, and ensuring school environments, air, water, and buildings meet environmental standards.
3. Educational Enhancements ($1 billion): Investments will be made in career and technical education, early childhood education, and district technology, including securing student data, expanding broadband access, and integrating AI.

The district said it will fund the bond without raising the tax rate.

Houston ISD has not proposed a bond since 2012, when voters approved $1.9 billion to rebuild 28 high schools and make other improvements. A May 22 press release indicated that a lack of maintenance and repairs over the past decade has resulted in approximately $10 billion in overdue upgrades.

To address these needs, the district has formed a Community Advisory Committee composed of 28 members, including parents, educators, community advocates, and elected trustees. The committee, co-chaired by former HISD board president Judith Cruz, former Democratic state Rep. Garnet Coleman, and retired H-E-B president Scott McClelland, will host five public meetings to gather community feedback

According to the Chronicle, six elementary schools (Brookline, Grissom, Hobby, Kelso, Law, and Montgomery) would be rebuilt, and six campuses (Baylor at Ryan, Deady Middle School, Attucks Middle School, Cornelius Elementary School, Petersen Elementary School, and Windsor Village Elementary School) would undergo renovations. Additionally, 53 campuses will receive safety and health improvements.

Houston ISD’s proposed bond surpasses the previous record held by Dallas ISD’s nearly $3.5 billion bond approved in 2020. Other notable bonds include Austin ISD’s $2.4 billion bond in 2022 and Prosper ISD’s $2.7 billion bond in 2023. On a national scale, the Los Angeles school district, the second largest in the U.S., passed a $7 billion bond in 2020.