School bond and tax elections in Texas

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School bond and tax elections in Texas are held under two different circumstances:

  • To issue new bonds for capital improvements, new construction, and facility upgrades.
  • To raise taxes on outstanding bonds.

Laws affecting school finance in Texas

Texas bond issue law

In Texas, school districts can issue new bonding for:

  • For constructing new school facilities, site acquisition, improving current facilities, and all equipment costs related to construction.
  • The acquisition of property or the refinancing of current property regardless of whether payment obligations under the contract are due in the current year or a future year.
  • The purchase of sites for school buildings
  • The purchase of new school buses.[1]

All new school bonds issued in Texas must be reviewed by the Attorney General of Texas in order to be valid.[2]

Texas bond tax law

Under Texas law, any independent school district's governing board may levy, pledge, assess, and collect any taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds as the principal and interest become due subject to voter approval.[3]

Conduct of the bond election, limitations, rules

Authority that conducts elections

A county election commission that governs the taxing authority of an independent school district is responsible for conducting elections.

Election dates

Under Texas laws, normal election dates for bond elections are the second Saturday in May and the first Tuesday in November.[4]

Needed majority

Under Texas law, a simple majority (50 percent plus one) is required to approve a school bond measure.[5]

Special elections

In Texas, special elections are allowed to be held whenever a school district sees a need because there are no restrictions when school districts can hold the elections. However, school districts must order a special election 62 days before the election.[6]

Wording of measures

Under Texas Law, a school district must mention in the ballot if the governing board or commissioners court of an ISD may levy, pledge, assess, and collect annual taxes on all taxable property in the district. Also, the bond measure must state the purpose of the bond or bond taxes. There are no other formatting requirements for the ballots under Texas Law.[7]

Required notice of bond election

Under Texas law, a minimum of 62 days notice is required to order any bond election in Texas. There is no requirement for the governing board of a school district having to pass a resolution in advance of the 62 day mandate.[6]

List of 2009 Texas school bond referendums

The following are school bond referendums that were held in 2009 in Texas. All results are provided by the Texas Bond Review Board.

Date District Bond Amount Passed/Failed % Pass
May 9th Abernathy Prop 1 Issue $15.9 million in bonding for building Passed
May 9th Athens Prop 1 Issue $7.5 million in bonding for building Failed
May 9th Athens Prop 2 Issue $18.2 million in bonding for building Failed
May 9th Bartlett Issue $2.945 million in bonding for building Failed
May 9th Belton Issue $38.9 million in bonding for building Failed
May 9th Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco Issue $2.5 million in bonding for building Passed
May 9th Big Sandy Issue $6.75 million in bonding for building and renovations. Passed
May 9th Bloomburg Issue $4.976 million in bonding for building purposes and a new gymnasium. Failed
May 9th Bloomburg Issue $4.976 million in bonding for building purposes and a new gymnasium. Failed
May 9th Borden County Issue $25 million in bonding for building purposes and a new gymnasium. Passed
May 9th Bredmond Prop 1 Issue $6.045 million in bonding for building purposes and a new gymnasium. Passed
May 9th Bredmond Prop 2 Issue $1.93 million in bonding for a new multi-purpose center. Passed
May 9th Bridgeport Issue $23 million in bonding for technology and building purposes. Failed
May 9th Bushland Issue $9 in bonding for building purposes and new busses. Passed
May 9th Canadian Issue $6 million in bonding for capital improvements. Passed
May 9th Carroll Prop 1 Issue $114.1 million in bonding for building and technology. Passed
May 9th Carroll Prop 2 Issue $19.3 million in bonding for building purposes. Passed
May 9th Carroll Prop 3 Issue $4.6 million in bonding for new athletic facilities. Passed
May 9th Central Heights ISD Issue $13.6 million in bonding for building and renovations Passed
May 9th College Station ISD Issue $144.2 million in bonding for building purposes and new buses. Passed
May 9th Coppel ISD Prop 1 Issue $40.9 million in bonding for building purposes and renovations. Passed
May 9th Coppel ISD Prop 2 Issue $15.2 million in bonding to pay legal judgements Passed
May 9th Cushing ISD Issue $10 million in bonding for building purposes. Passed
May 9th DeLeon ISD Issue $6 million in bonding for building purposes. Passed
May 9th Dew ISD Issue $3 million in bonding for maintained expense. Passed
May 9th Donna ISD Issue $52 million in bonding for building purposes. Passed
May 9th Elkhart ISD Issue $16 million in bonding for building purposes. Passed
May 9th Franklin ISD Issue $12 million in bonding for building purposes, renovations, and new buses. Passed
May 9th Glasscok County ISD Issue $12 million in bonding for building purposes, renovations, and new buses. Failed
May 9th Gruver ISD Issue $5 million in bonding for a new gymnasium. Passed
May 9th Guthrie CSD Issue $3 million in bonding for a new gymnasium and building purposes. Passed
May 9th Harlandale Prop 1 Issue $19.6 million to refund bond obligations. Passed
May 9th Harlandale Prop 2 Issue $12 million in bonding for building renovations. Passed
May 9th Hermliegh ISD Issue $12.5 million in bonding for building purposes. Passed
May 9th Highland Park ISD Issue $8 million in bonding for building purposes, technology, and new buses. Passed
May 9th Highland Park ISD Issue $8 million in bonding for building purposes, technology, and new buses. Passed
May 9th Highland Park ISD Issue $8 million in bonding for building purposes, technology, and new buses. Passed
May 9th Highland Park ISD Issue $8 million in bonding for building purposes, technology, and new buses. Passed
May 9th Highland Park ISD Issue $8 million in bonding for building purposes, technology, and new buses. Passed
May 9th Lubbock-Cooper ISD Issue $80 million in bonding for building purposes, renovations, and athletic facilities. Passed
May 9th McCamey Prop 1 Issue $13.85 million in bonding for building purposes and renovations. Passed
May 9th McCamey Prop 2 Issue $1.9 million in bonding for athletic field purposes. Passed
May 9th Memphis ISD Issue $14 million in bonding for building purposes. Failed
May 9th Nederland ISD Issue $120.3 million in bonding for building purposes and renovations. Passed
May 9th Nixon-Smiley CISD Issue $13 million in bonding for building purposes and renovations. Passed
May 9th North Lamar Prop 1 Issue $4.16 million in bonding for building purposes. Passed
May 9th North Lamar Prop 2 Issue $520,000 in bonding for renovations. Passed
May 9th Overton ISD Issue $6.75 million in bonding for renovations and athletic facilities. Passed
May 9th Palastine ISD Issue $64 million in bonding for renovations. Passed
May 9th Pearsall ISD Issue $18 million in bonding for renovations. Failed
May 9th Richland Springs ISD Issue $960,000 in bonding for lease refund. Failed
May 9th Rosebud-Lott ISD Issue $15 million in bonding for renovations. Failed
May 9th Sabine ISD Issue $20 million in bonding for building purposes, athletic facilities, and renovations. Failed
May 9th Sabine Pass ISD Issue $15 million in bonding for building renovations and a new gymnasium. Passed
May 9th Sinton ISD Issue $7.5 billion in bonding for building renovations and athletic facility improvements. Passed
May 9th Stamford ISD Issue $7 million in bonding for building renovations. Passed
May 9th Sulphur Springs ISD Issue $48.4 million in bonding for building renovations. Passed
May 9th Tidehaven ISD Issue $33.5 million in bonding for building renovations. Failed
May 9th Tolar ISD Issue $800,000 in bonding for building renovations. Passed
May 9th Winona ISD Issue $27.570 million in bonding for technology and Building Renovations. Passed
May 9th Wylie ISD Issue $84.450 million in bonding for Building Renovations and athletic facility improvements. Failed

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. "Texas Education Code" Texas School Bond Law(Referenced Statute 45.001, Section 1)
  2. "Texas Education Code" Texas School Bond Law(Referenced Statute 45.005)
  3. "Texas Education Code" Texas School Bond Law(Referenced Statute 45.001, Section 2)
  4. "Texas Election Code" Texas Election Law(Referenced Statute 41.001)
  5. "Texas Education Code" Texas School Bond Law(Referenced Statute 45.003)
  6. 6.0 6.1 "Texas Election Code" Texas Election Law(Referenced Statute 3.005)
  7. "Texas Education Code" Texas School Bond Law(Referenced Statute 45.003)