Houston ISD officials appointed a new 28-person advisory committee to gather community feedback on a proposed $4.5 billion bond. The committee consists of elected trustees, teachers, community advocates, and parents. It will engage the community at neighborhood and campus levels to address the district’s immediate needs. Three members—former HEB president Scott McClellan, former Texas state Representative Garnet Coleman, and HISD board president Judith Cruz—will co-chair the advisory committee. view article

With a few months left before HISD leaders must decide whether to hold a bond election, community members will have their first opportunity to weigh in on the potential multibillion-dollar package. HISD announced Wednesday it is convening a Community Advisory Committee that will meet five times over the next two weeks to share information on the districts’ plan to upgrade campuses and hear public feedback. HISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ administration said it is looking into a bond totaling $4 billion to $5 billion that will not raise property tax rates. A successful bond election allows school districts to finance the costs of building new campuses, updating aging facilities and buying new technology, among other items. The last time HISD passed a bond was in 2012, leaving dozens of campuses in dire need of renovations and upgrades to heating and cooling systems. Large urban districts like HISD typically pass a bond every five years or so. Compared to most other Houston-area districts, HISD is operating on a tighter timeline for assembling a committee of community members to discuss the bond and help generate buy-in. In recent years, several other districts started that process seven to nine months before an election. HISD would hold its election in early November, about 5 ½ months after the first community meeting. view article

With a few months left before HISD leaders must decide whether to hold a bond election, community members will have their first opportunity to weigh in on the potential multibillion-dollar package. HISD announced Wednesday it is convening a Community Advisory Committee that will meet five times over the next two weeks to share information on the districts’ plan to upgrade campuses and hear public feedback. HISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ administration said it is looking into a bond totaling $4 billion to $5 billion that will not raise property tax rates. A successful bond election allows school districts to finance the costs of building new campuses, updating aging facilities and buying new technology, among other items. The last time HISD passed a bond was in 2012, leaving dozens of campuses in dire need of renovations and upgrades to heating and cooling systems. Large urban districts like HISD typically pass a bond every five years or so. Compared to most other Houston-area districts, HISD is operating on a tighter timeline for assembling a committee of community members to discuss the bond and help generate buy-in. In recent years, several other districts started that process seven to nine months before an election. HISD would hold its election in early November, about 5 ½ months after the first community meeting. view article

Severe storms lashed through Central Texas on Wednesday, May 22, causing damage across the area in places like Temple, Belton, Killeen and more, and leaving many communities without power. Several local school districts have announced closures and changes in the aftermath of the storms. view article

The school year may be coming to an end, but Laredo ISD is celebrating its newest campus. On Friday morning, LISD staff members, teachers, and students gathered for the ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly constructed Kawas Elementary School. The 16.4-million-dollar campus features 31 classrooms, three computer labs, two science labs, and several other amenities. According to Monica Garcia, the LISD Board Member for District 7, plans for the school started in 2018; however, the project experienced supply issues brought on by the pandemic. view article

Houston ISD announced the 28 members of the Community Advisory Committee Thursday, which will host five public meetings on the upcoming multi billion-dollar school bond in the next two weeks. HISD plans to pursue a bond of at least $4 billion that will focus on security, replacing portable classrooms with real buildings, and improving heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, although the district hasn’t formally announced the specific details of its proposal. The bond, if passed, would not raise taxes, according to the district media release. view article

The Bryan School Board voted Monday to approve a contract for phase 1 of Elementary Campuses Priority Renovation Projects. The contract recommended to the board is $3.7 million with Marek Brothers Construction. This would include projects at Bonham, Bowen, Branch, Houston, Johnson, Jones, Mitchell, and Navarro Elementary Schools. Projects include replacing drinking fountains and working to improve restrooms. view article

Due to weather-related power outages, the Katy Independent School District (Katy ISD) will close several storm-damaged campuses today, Friday, May 17. In a press release distributed late Thursday night, the school district said that students, staff, and families assigned to these schools or student support facilities should refrain from reporting to the buildings. view article

The Houston Independent School District canceled school Friday due to the deadly and destructive storms that tore through the Houston area Thursday. "Due to the widespread damage across Houston, HISD has coordinated with the city of Houston and is closing all campuses Friday, May 17," the district said in a statement. "Schools will reopen Monday, May 20." view article

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - Construction is still on track for Memorial and Legacy High Schools to open in the Fall, WFISD Superintendent Dr. Donny Lee broke down the details at a work session with the Board of Trustees. Memorial finished moving in $4 million of furniture, and Legacy will be getting it’s furniture tomorrow. That’s the biggest part of what’s left in getting that school ready for students this next school year. Memorial is sitting at 99 percent complete with the last things on the list involving the auditorium and the outdoor athletic spaces. view article

On May 4th, voters passed a bond giving the Banquette School District $48,445,000 million. The bond listed several items, but school leaders said the priority is paying for a new middle school. “It makes me feel good, that they will be in a safe secure place, it will be healthy,” Melanie Walker, a parent of two kids in Banquete ISD. Walker has a kid in kindergarten and another in second grade, she said even though both her kids are in elementary, she is looking forward for them to go into a new and updated middle school. “It will probably be a little more roomier, so it will be very exciting for them to experience that,” Walker said. view article

The Longview ISD Board of Trustees approved authorizing the superintendent to negotiate architectural services for the $456.2 million bond projects, a change order for renovations at Longview Early Graduation High School, and other business during their regular meeting on Monday, May 13. view article

The Longview ISD Board of Trustees approved authorizing the superintendent to negotiate architectural services for the $456.2 million bond projects, a change order for renovations at Longview Early Graduation High School, and other business during their regular meeting on Monday, May 13. view article

On May 4th, voters passed a bond giving the Banquette School District $48,445,000 million. The bond listed several items, but school leaders said the priority is paying for a new middle school. “It makes me feel good, that they will be in a safe secure place, it will be healthy,” Melanie Walker, a parent of two kids in Banquete ISD. view article

On Monday night, Central ISD’s Board of Trustees met a full house at their meeting. This comes a week after the final count of votes revealed its bond proposal would not pass. With the plans of the rejected proposal plastered behind the board, a few residents voiced their disapproval of the bond in public forum. “If you have a good maintenance crew, they would’ve fixed that mold, they would’ve fixed that leaking pipe,” says one resident at the meeting. view article

Pine Tree ISD trustees received an update from the architectural group that is leading the way on the $55 million bond projects. "We will have to come in and do a few things in there. That’ll be another summer project. So we’ve got time for those with summer times," Pine Tree ISD Superintendent Steve Clugston said. view article

TYLER, Texas (KETK) – Tyler Independent School District celebrated the opening of the new Hubbard Middle School on Tuesday.  Greater Longview United Way celebrates 16th book vending machine The new building is part of a nearly $90 million bond that passed in 2022.  The new three-story campus sits right next to the old building that was originally built in 1964, and was funded by $63 million of the bond. view article

Voters in Navasota voted yes to two bonds in the May 4 election Saturday night. Proposition A was a $71 million bond package that the superintendent Dr. Stu Musick said would help renovate current schools and remodel existing campuses including roofs and HVAC systems maintenance. Not only that, but it would address the growth in the area with some of the funds going towards a new elementary school, new school buses as well as land for future schools. It passed 456 voters (55%) to 374 voters (45%). view article

The May 4 unofficial election results are in, with the majority of residents giving a firm thumbs down to the $161 million Granbury Independent School District bond proposal. The bond — which failed by approximately 398 votes in Hood County — consisted of a new elementary school off Old Granbury Road and Peck Road behind H-E-B, renovations to nine GISD campuses, a new north transportation center with the purchase of 30 new buses, additional instructional technology, and more. view article

Voters defeated school bonds in Big Spring and Granbury, where residents organized campaigns against the property tax-backed debt proposals.  Voters in Granbury and Big Spring Independent School Districts defeated school bonds on their May 4 ballots after local residents organized “Vote No” campaigns against the property tax-backed debt proposals.  Granbury ISD’s single $161 million bond proposition ($315 million with interest) failed by about 400 votes, with 52 percent voting against.  This is the district’s third failed bond in three years.Bond opponents in Granbury ISD organized a campaign warning voters about the tax impact of the bond, using the slogan “If You Know, You No.”  Their campaign succeeded, despite local officials confiscating their campaign signs and arresting their “No Bond Bus Tour” driver over alleged invalid vehicle permits.  Big Spring ISD residents borrowed Granbury bond opponents’ campaign slogan and soundly defeated their district’s two bond propositions that totaled $219 million ($430 million with interest).  Prop A ($216.7 million) failed by 1,201 to 601 votes. Prop B ($2.3 million) failed 1,181 to 609. view article

For a second time, voters knocked down a new $100 million high school stadium proposal in Anna. The measure was among nearly a dozen North Texas districts’ bond propositions up on Saturday’s elections. The asks totaled about $2.5 billion and included new campuses, safety improvements, technology and other upgrades on Saturday’s ballot. ADVERTISEMENT view article

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a powerful South Texas Democrat, was indicted with his wife Imelda on Friday on charges of accepting almost $600,000 in bribes from Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank. Cuellar allegedly accepted the payments from Azerbaijan’s state-run oil and gas company after they had been laundered through fake consulting contracts to shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, according to the indictment. In exchange, the Laredo congressman allegedly pushed U.S. policy in favor of Azerbaijan, an oil-rich former Soviet country that borders Iran and Russia on the Caspian sea. That includes adding language to defense spending legislation to prioritize ties to countries in the region, including with Azerbaijan, and working to kill legislation prioritized by members who supported Armenian interests. view article

Voters in the Navarro ISD have said “yes” to the largest bond election in the district’s history. Voters during the Saturday, May 4 Election agreed to Propositions A, B and C totaling $120 million. Navarro ISD Superintendent Mandy Epley says the voter support throughout this election has been tremendous. She says she each winning proposition led with great margin. view article

Here’s a list of Central Texas school district bond that were either approved or rejected by voters. The hyperlinks will take you to your school district’s bond page for a more detailed breakdown of what was at stake. view article

Georgetown school district voters on Saturday overwhelmingly approved a $649.5 million bond package to build new schools, renovate aging facilities and update technology for the 13,000-student district. "The passage of all four propositions of the 2024 Bond is a testament to our community's commitment to our students' success,” Superintendent Devin Padavil said in a news release Saturday night after the election results were finalized. view article

Dozens of families are dealing with the aftermath of high water getting into their homes. Channelview, at the mouth of the San Jacinto River, saw flooding over the weekend, but finally the water level is going down. The local school district is trying to help students and their siblings and parents recover from the disaster by canceling classes Monday. view article

Willis ISD Director of Communication Jamie Fails said after polls closed on May 4 the district was "thrilled" that Proposition A received voter approval. "It's going to assist us with providing educational facilities for our students, specifically in the realm of expanding Willis High School to accommodate the growth we're experiencing as well as building a new transportation facility, which will relieve our current [facility]," she said. "We appreciate the community taking the time to vote and educating themselves." view article

Voters narrowly approved the Canutillo Independent School District’s $387 million bond proposals on Saturday. About 51% of voters cast ballots in favor of the proposal to build new schools and renovate existing ones – winning approval with a margin of 32 votes. The proposal to issue bonds to pay off debt was approved with just over 50% and a margin of 13 votes. This marks the first bond proposals Canutillo ISD voters approve after voting down two others in four years. view article

Bond passed with 69 percent of vote. view article

The third time really was the charm for Longview ISD as voters approved all five bond proposals. With Harrison County votes still pending, it appears there are enough votes in favor in Gregg County, as no proposal was faring worse than 58 percent Saturday night. Also in Longview, voters supported Kristin Ishihara as the new mayor, as votes in Gregg County had her winning by 2,700 votes, with less than 200 pending in Harrison County. view article

Voters in Navasota voted yes to two bonds in the May 4 election Saturday night. Proposition A was a $71 million bond package that the superintendent Dr. Stu Musick said would help renovate current schools and remodel existing campuses including roofs and HVAC systems maintenance. Not only that, but it would address the growth in the area with some of the funds going towards a new elementary school, new school buses as well as land for future schools. It passed 456 voters (55%) to 374 voters (45%). view article

As inflation burns through your pockets, your local jurisdictions are coming for more of your money. Bonds and taxes are on the ballot this May and November, make sure you're aware and vote accordingly. view article

On Saturday, voters in the College Station school district will have the chance to sign off on two bond propositions. The bonds total $53 million and cover various repairs and renovations to athletics facilities at A&M Consolidated High School and College Station High School. Proposition A is worth $40,200,000 for renovations to the A&M Consolidated High School athletic stadium and fieldhouse, plus the College Station High School athletic stadium. This item is a property tax increase. view article

Less than one percent of voters in Harris County have turned out to vote. On May 4, 270 local jurisdictions across the state will hold bond elections totaling $17.4 billion. More than $1 billion of that long-term debt is owed to local jurisdictions in Harris County. Harris County’s largest request—half of the total amount across the county—is for Galena Park ISD, which is asking voters to approve $530 million in debt. view article

THORNDALE, Texas (KXAN) — The Thorndale Independent School District superintendent said the district has asked voters to consider a $34.5 million bond to help it keep up with a growing student population. TISD Superintendent Zack Kleypas said the district anticipates enrollment to grow as nearby developments are completed. An example he pointed to was the Samsung Semiconductor facility under construction in Taylor. The district’s webpage on the bond proposal said it would upgrade parts of existing schools, like giving its middle school a new security vestibule and connect all campuses with transitional hallways. view article