HOUSTON — On Thursday night, the Houston Independent School District's state-appointed Board of Managers voted to place a historic multi-billion dollar bond on the November ballot.
HISD approved the $4.4 billion bond package, which is the first to be approved in 12 years.
About 80 people spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting. Some of them were not happy with the decision.
"Please vote no on this bond proposal," a speaker said.
Others wanted it to pass.
"Please vote in favor of placing this bond on the November ballot to address the pressing needs of our students," another speaker said.
The bond addresses three things, according to the district.
- $1.04 billion toward creating safe and healthy campuses
- $1.07 billion toward making campuses "future-ready"
- $2.27 billion toward restoring HISD schools
Those against the bond proposal said they don't trust the current state-appointed board to handle the funds appropriately.
A more pressing issue for parents on Thursday night was their concern that some campuses might not be ready for the first day of school next week. They said debris from recent storms, overgrown grass, and reported mold at at least two campuses are concerning.
"The current conditions at our schools are unacceptable," a parent said.
The district said remediation works and testing have been done for the mold and the goal is for all campuses to be ready for students on Monday. Superintendent Mike Miles addressed the concerns after the meeting on Thursday night. He maintained that all campuses would be ready come Monday.
The bond will be put on the November ballot and voters will decide its fate.