HOUSTON, Texas – The Houston Independent School District is seeking one of the largest bond proposals in Texas history, and, according to a poll conducted by Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 75% of Houston ISD residents are in favor.
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The surveys, which were conducted in January through February, along with a follow-up survey in July through August, comprised about 7,500 adult residents in Harris County who live in HISD boundaries and would be eligible to vote for the bond election. This also included residents who may not have students enrolled in HISD.
In the January survey, 78% of respondents living in HISD said they would vote for a bond that resulted in tax increases of $1 or less. Support for the bond decreased substantially if it raised taxes beyond $25 per year.
In the August survey, 76% supported a bond that resulted in tax increases of $1 or less.
The bond proposed by HISD will not increase the district’s debt tax rate, but an individual property owner’s tax bill can increase as a result of increasing property values over time.
“School bonds tend to be popular, and this appears to be the case for Houston ISD, despite it being a year of transition for the district,” said Kori Stroub, associate director of research for the Kinder Institute’s Houston Education Research Consortium. “From January to August, support for a bond that doesn’t increase taxes is virtually unchanged.”
The bond, which the district calls “Renew HISD,” if approved, will go towards rebuilding/renovating existing elementary and middle schools, and updating HVAC systems, which the district has been seeing several problems with since the start of the school year, career and technical education, including expanding the district’s early childhood pre-k program, and updating the district’s security plans.
Voters, however, according to the survey, shared a different opinion on how the money should be spent.
About 53% of the people in the survey said HISD should focus on improving campus safety. Fifty-one percent said it should make career and technical education facilities a top priority; Thirty-four percent identified campus technology upgrades as essential; 31% said campuses need renovation funds; and three to four percent of respondents said the money should be spent on building new campuses.
“Bonds can’t be spent on general operations,” Stroub explained. “But they can be spent on big-ticket items such as new equipment, new buildings and upgraded facilities — one-time investments that hopefully last a long time.”
The school district’s bond measure will be divided into two separate proposals on the November ballot, allowing residents to vote on each individually. Proposition A would dedicate $3.96 billion for upgrades and expansions of school facilities, including safety and security improvements, while Proposition B would earmark $440 million for technology equipment, systems, and infrastructure.
If you’re not registered to vote in Houston, you have until Oct. 7 to do so. Eligible voters need to obtain or print a registration form and submit it to the voter registrar before the deadline.