Voters across Houston ISD emphatically rejected the district’s historic $4.4 billion school bond package Tuesday, though some communities were roughly split on the proposal while others largely opposed it.
Precinct-level data released by the Harris County Clerk’s Office show support for the bond hovered at about 50 percent in many of the district’s lower- and middle-income communities, including those on the city’s northeast, south and southwest sides. Meanwhile, about 25 percent to 40 percent of voters in more affluent Houston communities supported the bond.
HISD voters became the first in Texas to reject a school bond totaling $1 billion or more. The bond would have allowed for HISD to renovate about three dozen schools, improve campus security, and upgrade heating and cooling systems, among other changes.
The vote marked the first major HISD election since the state takeover of the district in mid-2023. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath appointed Superintendent Mike Miles and a replacement school board as a result of state sanctions against HISD.
Check out our map to see how voters across the city voted on the HISD bond package.
The strongest support for the bond came from the district’s less-wealthy communities, some of which would have seen the largest share of school improvements under the bond.
Higher-income areas, however, are generally home to residents who have made a stronger, more organized push back against Miles’ controversial overhaul of the district. At the same time, some campuses in wealthier communities, such as Black Middle School in Garden Oaks and Lanier Middle School in Montrose, would have been rebuilt under the bond.
HISD may be at least two years away from another bond vote, given that the district has historically held bond elections during the November of even-numbered years. But the timeline could extend to 2028 if the district’s state-appointed board, which decides whether to hold a bond election, waits for the return of a locally elected board.
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