Fort Worth school bond has 42-vote lead; ones for stadiums, gyms and auditoriums fail
A $1.2 billion bond proposal to renovate Fort Worth middle schools and build new elementary schools held a 42-vote lead Tuesday night, but voters rejected three other bond proposals.
The four proposals totaled $1.49 billion.
Proposition A would provide more than $1.21 billion for major interior renovations of all district middle schools and the construction of four elementary schools. With all 323 vote centers reporting, the proposal had 50.09% of the vote, with 12,342 votes for the bond and 12,300 against.
Voting results are unofficial, and not all votes have been counted as absentee ballots received on Wednesday will be counted if they were postmarked by Tuesday, according to the Tarrant County Elections Office. Ballots mailed from U.S. citizens residing outside the country may be counted if clearly postmarked on or before Tuesday and received by the elections administrator no later than the fifth day after Election Day.
Proposition B, which would have provided more than $98 million for the renovation of middle school and high school auditoriums, lost with 54.12% voting against the proposal.
Proposition C, which would have provided more than $104 million for three stadiums, lost with 66.34% voting against the proposal.
Proposition D, which would have provided more than $76 million for the renovation of school gyms and fields, lost with 58.03% voting against the proposal.
“The main [proposal] changes our middle schools for the better,” Fort Worth resident Jennifer Estrada said. “I think we did the right thing.”
More than $904 million would go into district middle schools if the bond is approved. Rosemont Middle School, a 99-year-old campus, would receive the most money — more than $71 million.
“I think investment in this bond will allow us to get a stronger foothold in early childhood education,” Fort Worth schools Superintendent Kent Scribner told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram editorial board last month.
The district’s bond projects were based on a 2017 assessment that determined the specific projects and dollar values, according to district officials. The district’s long-range master plan created in preparation for the 2017 bond established specifications for high schools. Those specifications were translated to district middle schools for the proposed bond, officials said.
The bond is not expected to increase the district’s tax rate, but property valuations in Tarrant County have been trending up.
Increasing property values, principal reductions and low interest rates would allow the district to pay the bond without increasing the rate.
This story was originally published November 2, 2021 at 7:15 PM.
