From Houston Public Media:
The largest school bond proposal in Texas history was rejected Tuesday in a big statement by Houston voters.
Houston ISD’s $4.4 billion bond package, which appeared on ballots as Propositions A and B, failed to gain voter support, according to unofficial election results released by the Harris County Clerk’s Office. Nearly 60 percent of early voters opposed Prop A, which sought $3.96 billion for school rebuilds and renovations as well as safety and security upgrades, while Prop B, which sought $440 million for technology systems and infrastructure, was rejected by more than 60 percent of early voters.
The early voting results spelled defeat for the bond package, with roughly 350,000 Houston voters casting ballots during the early voting period. The county clerk’s office reported at 3 p.m. Tuesday that about 200,000 ballots had been cast on Election Day.
The bond vote could be considered a referendum on the district’s state-appointed superintendent and board of managers, installed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in June 2023 because Wheatley High School had a string of failing accountability ratings from the state. Widespread instructional reforms contributed to initial improvements in standardized test scores but also prompted pushback from parents, educators and community members, who adopted “No trust, no bond” as a rallying cry.
“What we didn’t want it to be was a referendum on (Superintendent) Mike Miles,” said Children At Risk president and CEO Bob Sanborn, whose nonprofit supported the bond. “And what it turned out to be was really a referendum on Mike Miles.”
Miles lamented the result in a statement Tuesday night, calling it “unfortunate and wrong” because of pressing facilities needs in the district.
“In this instance, the politics of adults beat out the needs of our children,” he said.
In a rare show of solidarity, Harris County’s Democratic and Republican parties both expressed opposition to the bond, which would have been Houston ISD’s first since 2012. The district is the largest in Texas, serving roughly 180,000 students.
Josh Durham, who voted early at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center on Oct. 23, was among those to cast ballots against the bond measure.
“Both parties said not to vote for it,” he said. “So I assumed if both of them agreed, that was the way to go.”
The bond package, which would have focused on elementary and middle school campuses after the 2012 bond was dedicated to high schools, also was opposed by the largest teachers’ union in Houston ISD (HISD) as well as the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation. The local chapters of civil rights organizations such as LULAC and the NAACP came out against the bond as well.
Local nonprofit Community Voices for Public Education helped rally opposition to the bond.
“I think this is what democracy looks like,” co-founder Ruth Kravetz said. “When parents across every Houston neighborhood put up yard signs and write ‘No trust, no bond’ on minivan windows, this is what democracy looked like.”
Among those to endorse the proposal were the Greater Houston Partnership, the Houston Food Bank and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said infrastructure investment is needed while also acknowledging community concerns and advocating for an end to the state takeover.
Brooke Bailey, who used to work as a teaching artist at HISD, said she generally supports public education but also voted against the bond.
“I don’t trust the TEA-appointed board or Mike Miles, that that money is actually going to go to the schools,” Bailey said. “I think the bond would be a great idea, but when I see how many teachers we lost … I can’t let these people have my taxpayer money.”
