Friendswood ISD’s board of trustees called for a $81.5 million bond election at the Feb. 9 meeting.
On the ballot
The bond package is separated into four propositions, per the school board:
- Proposition A: Critical infrastructure/Lifecycle replacements and safety and security
- Proposition B: Westwood Elementary replacement
- Proposition C: Career and agricultural science center
- Proposition D: Technology
The bond package costs about 51% less than the failed 2025 bond proposal, according to district documents.
The cost
The $81.5 million bond package will increase the tax rate by up to $0.0349 per $100 valuation of a home.
For a home valued at $500,000, this increase will translate to approximately $125.64 annually, or $10.47 monthly, assuming a $140,000 homestead exemption district officials said.
By comparison, for the same $500,000 home, the estimated increase of the district’s failed 2025 bond proposal would have been roughly $576 annually, or $48 monthly.
In a Nov. 21 survey released by the district, results indicated that this potential tax increase was among voters’ top concerns.
How we got here
Voters rejected all four propositions in FISD’s $165 million bond package during the Nov. 4 election, according to results from Galveston County.
Following the election, the district distributed a community survey on Nov. 21, and board members followed up with approximately 80 constituents through December, according to district documents.
District officials and board members discussed survey results, which received 885 total responses, and began reviewing potential bond scenarios during a Jan. 12 workshop.
Focusing on community feedback, district officials worked with Huckabee Architectural Firm to refine a new bond proposal, according to district documents.
At its Feb. 2 workshop session, the board of trustees arrived at a potential $81.5 million bond package and refined proposition language that will go in front of voters in May.
What’s next
Early voting for the May 2 election will run from April 20-28, according to the Secretary of State’s website.
