Voters approve $800M+ bonds for 3 Brazos Valley school districts

BRAZOS VALLEY, Texas (KBTX) - Many voters across the Brazos Valley gave their approval for major investments into their local school districts this Election Day on Tuesday.

Bond elections are a way for school districts to fund large capital projects such as building new school buildings through voter approval. These projects are typically funded through an increase in property taxes.

Three school districts - Buffalo and Waller ISD as well as Anderson-Shiro CISD - passed three bonds worth more than $800 million.

The largest bond package came from Waller ISD , totaling $702.5 million. Proposition A covers building two new elementary schools, a junior high school, high school, and the purchase of a fleet of buses.

Waller ISD had a second bond proposition to upgrade technology equipment on the ballot, but voters did not pass it.

The district states that property taxes will not go up.

In Leon County, Buffalo ISD passed a $46.5 million bond. The bond covers safety and security upgrades, as well as the construction of new buildings and large-scale renovations to existing ones. According to the district's bond website, there will be a property tax increase.

By a thin margin of just nine votes, it looks like voters in Anderson-Shiro CISD have approved a $60 million bond. This bond, which included items voters rejected in 2023, will build a new elementary school, renovate the current one into a junior high school, and build a roadway for the new building.

"We are currently where demographers projected us to be at the end of the '27-28 school year, and it's 2024," Dr. Sara Borowicz, Anderson-Shiro CISD superintendent, said.

With a margin that slim, factors could possibly shift in another direction. Documents from Grimes County show there are 198 ballots that are either provisional or haven't been returned. Those would be counted into the final vote.

"My big worry with all of this is that it would create a lot of division within our community, and so really moving forward, I really want to make sure that everybody feels like they're a part of Anderson-Shiro CISD," shared Supt. Dr. Borowicz.

Anderson-Shiro Citizens for Real Progress Committee , a group of residents who spoke out against the bond, said on social media that at this time the tight race is 'not a victory' for the district.

The group said it supports making improvements within the school district but want to see a more financially responsible plan put forward. The group also expressed concerns about transparency in regard to the full cost of the bond.

So when will we know for sure?

The vote will be canvassed on Nov. 14, making the election results official.

"We'll be setting up a bond oversight committee, making sure our community had the opportunity to participate in those meetings and have input on the project's design," Supt. Dr. Borowicz added.

This bond is also set to increase property taxes.