Posted, 11:17 p.m.
Finalized numbers released by Travis County at 10:54 p.m. showed voters approved Austin ISD's $1.05 billion bond with 72.06 percent in favor. A total of 66,512 votes were cast between early voting and Election Day. The 32-item bond package represents facilities across the district, district Trustee Yasmin Wagner said. "The success of this bond shows that voters understand the tremendous positive impact that it will have for every student in AISD," she said.
Posted, 9:27 p.m.: Austin ISD $1.05 billion bond passes with 69 percent of the vote
Austin ISD's $1.05 billion bond has passed with 69.32 percent of voters in favor. The bond is the largest in district history and will not result in a tax rate increase, according to district officials. Unofficial results were released at 9:22 p.m. by Travis County. A total of 37,414 votes were collected between early voting and Election Day polls. Passage of the bond reflects the community's passion for public education, AISD board of trustees President Kendall Pace said. "The percent of what we are seeing [in voter turnout] sends a signal that people don’t just like the public schools, they love them. It’s really heartwarming to know that people still believe in investing in the community good," she said. "The process we went through was community-driven and expertly advised." Leticia Caballero, tri-chair of the Facilities and Bond Planning Advisory Committee, the group responsible for making recommendations of which projects should be included in the package, said approval of the bond means the committee's hard work has paid off. "[This bond] means tremendous things [for AISD]," she said. "We had hard work to do, but we had a vision. Tonight is an exciting night to see that hard work and community engagement all come together." The district will now have adequate resources to address facilities in need of attention, committee member Rich DePalma said. "I am just so incredibly grateful to the community support on behalf of our 81,000-plus students," he said. "This bond not only prevents successful schools from having to close due to their condition, but it also increases academic opportunities in the district. I'm just really proud." Trustee Jayme Mathias expressed his gratitude to the voters in a tweet following the announcement.
Posted, 8:37 p.m.: First round of Election Day votes show strong support for Austin ISD bond
The vast majority of Election Day votes counted thus far indicate strong support for the Austin ISD bond. Only nine of 150 polling locations and 939 votes have been accounted for at this time. The first round of votes shows 77.1 percent of voters in favor and 22.9 percent against.
Original post, 7:16 p.m.: Early voting tally shows most voters favor Austin ISD's $1.05 billion bond
Results from early voting polls released at 7 p.m. show 68.1 percent of voters in favor of Austin ISD's $1.05 billion bond. The total number of votes amounts to 25,799. The bond put before voters this November is the most costly in district history; however, district officials have said the bond will not result in a tax rate increase. Aimed at modernizing schools with 21st-century equipment and facilities, the bond includes 32 line items ranging from minor renovations to complete rebuilds. Bond items were prioritized based on a “worst first” criteria, according to the district. Overall the bond is designed to modernize or construct 16 new campus facilities, some of which will be replacement schools. Capital improvement projects to update existing facilities are also included as well as improvements to technology and transportation. The polls officially closed to voters at 7 p.m.