HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — It's a big-ticket issue with a big-ticket price. HISD is looking to pass a $4.4 billion bond this election. It is the biggest school bond in the state's history. And while many agree the district needs an upgrade, not everyone supports the bond.
KHOU recently toured Cornelius Elementary along with members of the HISD Bond Oversight Committee. They say they got a chance to see up close what schools like this need. But despite those needs, some have concerns that this money will not be spent well.
There might just be one thing people on every side of the bond issue agree on: HISD schools need a lot of work. Monica Rojas sees it every day at her school Corneilus Elementary.
"We had over 150 work orders placed. That’s an occurrence that happens almost every single day," Rojas said.
Some of the temporary buildings are 50 years old.
"Both grandparents, parents and current students are going into those same buildings. That’s enough advocacy," said Christopher Cola, who's on the oversight committee.
And over in the Montrose area, Becky Smith's daughter's school Poe Elementary can also use some help.
"A little bit of that is an old building smell. We got some issues and it needs work," she said.
But Smith said the multi-million-dollar bond isn't the answer. She's spending her lunch break at Bayland Park to tell other voters why not.
"This is a shiny toy with a big shiny price tag on it, and we can do better. We can take our time. It doesn’t have to be too much time. It doesn’t need to be a decade, but it needs to be longer than a four-month community input process," Smith said.
HISD's $4.4 billion bond proposal is broken down into two parts. Prop A, in part, advocates say will fund widespread construction targeting 40 aging campuses and renovating others, while also funding security upgrades to mold removal, drinking water and HVAC.
"I wouldn’t vote for it, and I would never vote for it," voter Curtis Henderson said.
"How could you think so quick for something of that magnitude," voter Josie Latimer said.
Prop B centers around technology, equipment and infrastructure improvements.
So, if a lot of parents and voters agree that Houston ISD needs help, why don't they support the bond? It often comes down to the man the state named as head of the district without voters getting to weigh in: Mike Miles.
"Building trust in the community about democracy is about having someone leading the spending of the bond who has been elected by voters, and who is accountable to them. And who will be around for a long time and is part of the community," Smith said.
KHOU political expert Brandon Rottinghaus said you have to expect major scrutiny with a bond this large and voters may lack the trust that funds will be executed effectively.
“If the bond is written in such a way as to have the ability of the money to be spent in more generic kinds of ways and not specified to a particular project or particular role. Then it can be used for something that it wasn’t otherwise specifically put to. But generally speaking, the bond writers want it to be very clear and voters want it to be very clear," Rottinghaus said.
Advocates urge voters to put politics aside and approve the money for Houston schools. But some see this as their chance to tell the state what they think of the district takeover.