Keller ISD is asking voters to approve an $828.11 million bond during the Nov. 3 general election. The bond passage would address mechanical repairs, campus expansions, technology improvements and athletic facility updates, according to the district’s website.
“We’re a big district and we have a lot of buildings with a lot of need,” Superintendent Cory Wilson said. “It’s just the history and how our growth patterns developed. At the expense of the building was maintenance. If you don’t maintain [the buildings], [they're] not going to last.”
What's happening
KISD officials approved putting the 2026 bond on the November ballot during their meeting Aug. 13. The two previous bonds from 2014 and 2019 were called to address district growth. The $484.5 million from both bonds went toward building new schools and renovations.
With enrollment declining 17.4% in nine years, Wilson said the district is “dealing with the other side of the growth,” which entails maintaining facilities while managing reduced state funding due to the loss of students. Wilson said the 2026-27 school year started with about 29,000 students, around 6,000 fewer than 2018.
KISD trustees voted May 14 to close three intermediate schools after the 2026-27 school year to save $39 million in facility repairs and $3 million in operating costs. The Citizens Bond Advisory Committee, a volunteer group of community members, voted June 17 to approve the maximum bond possible without raising the $0.33 interest and sinking rate, or debt rate, member Ann Potts said.
Trustee Chris Coker was the only trustee to vote against the $828 million bond. KISD has $861 million in debt between the borrowed amount and the interest rate from previous bonds, district documents state.
“Available borrowing capacity should not automatically become a spending target,” Coker said.
Zooming in
The ballot will list five propositions that voters can vote for or against individually, with the $828.11 million bond total changing depending on whether all, some or none of the propositions pass.
If one or more propositions fail, that proposition amount will be subtracted from the total bond amount, according to a KISD presentation at the Aug. 13 board meeting.
Proposition A ($756.3 million): This will fund updates to roofing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, code compliance and safety systems across the district. It will also fund a partial rebuild of Keller Middle School.
Proposition B ($28 million): The proposition would fund a refresh of staff and student devices.
Proposition C ($8.87 million): This is for updates to the KISD Natatorium to allow the facility to resume operations.
Proposition D ($11.03 million): The proposition is for KISD Athletic Complex repairs including lighting, track and turf replacement and restroom renovations.
Proposition E ($23.91 million): This will fund the installation of artificial turf on fields at all KISD middle schools as well as high school baseball and softball fields.
A closer look
Potts said the priorities were ranked from one to three for HVAC, plumbing, electrical and safety, with one being the most critical repairs or projects. Potts said the committee members were given a binder with the analysis of every building in the district with 34 facilities included in Proposition A.
“The priority one work was urgent years ago and we are now experiencing it with a number of air conditioning units out,” she said. “We are sitting in a place where it is a dire need.”
In a Keller Facebook group, parent Brian Gordon shared an email from Aug. 20 stating that the air was not working at Keller High School and it was 91 degrees in some of the classrooms.
Rachel Weatherington, who has two children in the district, said she is glad the district has a plan to address the long-term needs.
“Our HVAC system issues are a huge priority, because their failure is incredibly disruptive to teaching and learning,” she said.
What's next
Potts said the bond committee made sure that Proposition A, which accounts for 91% of the bond, was a need, not a want.
“We have been consistently paying for repairs and maintenance out of our fund balance, which is the only method that we could use to pay for things like teacher salaries,” she said.
KISD Chief Communications Officer Bryce Nieman said if the bonds do not pass, the district would have to spend money from the maintenance and operations budget to complete the work.
The KISD general fund has dropped from $83 million in 2020 to $47 million in 2023 due to budget shortfalls, its website states.
