By As Houston ISD officials prepare the final presentation of the proposed “Renew HISD” bond for the upcoming board vote in August, teachers and community members still have questions about how bond money would be spent.
How Can Funds Be Spent?
According to Texas state law, school district bond funds can be used for a variety of projects, including the following.
- Safety and security upgrades to school safety and security
- Construction of new schools and renovations to existing facilities
- Land acquisition for school buildings
- Capital projects such as replacement of HVAC and plumbing systems
- Equipment such as technology infrastructure, musical instruments, and uniforms
- Transportation funds for new school buses safety upgrades for older buses
What Bond Funds Can’t Be Spent On
School bond funds cannot be used for new or existing teacher salaries, administration personnel salaries, or other new hires compensation at HISD. Nor can they be used for operating costs such as utility bills, supplies, building maintenance, fuel, and insurance.
Additionally, Texas law states that bond proceeds can only be used to pay for items that have a useful life of more than one year.
The district — and more importantly, the students who attend run down, aging school campuses — badly need those funds to pay for critical repair and rebuilding projects.
How is the Bond Paid For?
District officials have said no new taxes would be required to fund the projects included in the proposed $4.4 billion dollar bond.
The bond process gives voters the opportunity to approve a specific dollar amount that the district can sell in bonds. The interest rate paid on the bonds is based on the district’s bond rating, and interest rates at the time of sale.
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