As the Houston Independent School District looks to voters to approve a historic $4.4 billion bond in November, surveys conducted in January and August by Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research found robust support among residents who live in the district. More than 75% of in-district respondents signaled their support for a bond that does not result in a tax increase.
“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.”
Opinions varied on how the bond should be spent. More than half of surveyed respondents in HISD (53%) said the focus should be on improving campus safety. Fifty-one percent identified career and technical education facilities as a top priority, 34% identified campus technology upgrades as essential, and 31% said campuses need funds for renovations. Only 3-4% of respondents said the money should be spent on building new campuses.
“Bonds can’t be spent on general operations, 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,” Stroub said.
In addition to support for a bond, 75% of respondents in HISD also agreed with the sentiment that schools need more funding in general to provide a quality education.
Today’s release of the survey findings follows a vote by the HISD Board of Managers Aug. 8 to put the $4.4 billion bond on the ballot, making it the district’s first bond election since 2012. Election Day is Nov. 5.
Titled Renew HISD, the package would rebuild and modernize over 40 campuses, upgrade HVAC systems, improve campus security and expand early childhood and career and technical education programs. More info is online here.
The Kinder Institute’s initial survey was conducted in January-February 2024, and a follow-up survey was conducted July-August 2024. Both surveys used the Kinder Institute’s Greater Houston Community Panel, which comprises about 7,500 adult residents in Harris County. Unless otherwise noted in the report, results reflect the responses from residents who live in HISD boundaries and would be eligible to vote in the bond election. This includes residents who may not have children enrolled in HISD schools.
The full report detailing the survey findings is online here.