Just as homeowners borrow money in the form of a mortgage to finance the purchase of a home, a school district borrows money in the form of bonds to finance construction, renovation and other capital projects. Both are repaid over time, but in order for a school district to sell bonds, it must go to the voters for approval.

School districts are required by law to ask voters for permission to sell bonds to investors in order to pay for capital expenditures for projects like building a new school or making renovations to existing facilities. Districts take out a loan and then pay that loan back over an extended period of time, much like a family takes out a mortgage loan for their house.

A school bond must be approved by a majority of voters who live within the school district’s boundaries.

Bond funds can be used to pay for new buildings, additions and renovations to existing buildings, land acquisition, technology, buses, and equipment, among other items. By law, bond funds may not be used to fund daily operating expenses, such as salaries or utilities, which are paid for out of the district’s Maintenance & Operation (M&O) budget.

Based on feedback from districts with similar venues, the event center model could result in approximately $2.4 million in estimated revenues and $3 million in estimated expenses. Additionally, a district-owned event center would save Plano ISD approximately $275,000 annually in cost avoidance by not having to rent and lease spaces for events like graduation, convocation, student events, etc. To be perfectly clear, the venue is not projected to be a for-profit entity. It is intended to provide a dedicated space for student and staff events, programs and competitions, as well as provide another event rental option in the Plano ISD community. 

The November 2022 bond election includes four propositions, in accordance with a new state law that requires certain projects to be on a standalone proposition for voters to consider. To view each proposition with a list of proposed projects, visit the Bond Election pages. 

Yes. Proposition B includes $40 million for Safety and Security projects including district-wide upgrades and improvements like access control systems, security camera systems, shatter resistant window film, burglar alarm panel upgrades, two-way radio replacements and a centralized Emergency Operations location. Proposition D also includes security lighting, parking lot resurfacing for Clark Stadium and wrought iron fencing at Kimbrough Stadium.

Yes. The bond includes several new facilities that will increase classroom capacity across the school district and expand program offerings for students and teachers.

Proposed new construction includes:

• CTE Center

• Replacement building for Haggard Middle School

• Event Center

• Addition at the Transportation Building

• New gyms at all three senior high schools

• Restroom additions

• Tracks at the middle schools

Yes. Renovations are proposed for nearly every campus. Major renovations include:

• Plano Senior High School

• Kitchens and cafeterias at multiple campuses

• Safety and security infrastructure

• New ADA-accessible playgrounds 

Prop B: School Renovations & Safety - $1,172,976,000

Prop C: Instructional Technology - $173,450,000

Prop D: Event Center - $130,000,000

Prop E: Safety & Maintenance at Stadiums - $19,212,000

The total amount for all four bond propositions is $1,495,638,000. 

The bond project list was recommended by the Future Forward Task Force and the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to call a bond election based on their recommendations. 

The Future Forward Task Force, an advisory committee comprising citizens, business leaders, parents, school administrators and teachers met several times in the 2021-2022 school year and through the summer to evaluate and prioritize the district’s current and future needs. Their research included garnering input from the community through a third-party survey, as well as working in committees to identify and prioritize needs.  After months of study and public input, the task force made final recommendations to school trustees, which are included in this bond proposal.

The Plano ISD Interest & Sinking (I&S) tax rate will be $0.23735 whether or not voters approve the bond propositions. Taxpayers in Plano ISD will not see a tax rate increase as a result of this bond election. 

Taxpayers would not see a tax rate increase from the bonds. A few combined factors have put PISD in this position, including our conservative fiscal approach, paying down debt, rising Taxable Assessed Values and low interest rates.

Since PISD’s last bond election, the legislature passed a new law requiring school districts to include the language “THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE,” even when the district is not expecting a rate increase. This is because the issuance of new bonds increases the term of the debt repayment at the current rate. The 2022 bond will not impact the tax rate, but will elongate the repayment term at the current rate of 23.7 cents.

Planning for the district’s current and future needs is one of the fundamental duties of school boards and district administrators. As such, there is a constant evaluation of facilities and other needs in light of the age of district-owned structures, changes in technology, and even changes in instruction. When the district determines that it has needs beyond the capacity of the maintenance and operations budget, the Board of Trustees may issue a bond. The maintenance and operations budget covers the day-to-day expenses of the district, where 86% is directed toward staff salaries and benefits. The Texas Education Agency in the Financial Integrity Ratings System of Texas (Schools FIRST Rating) sets the guidelines for school districts to have three months of operating expenditures in fund balance. Maintaining the required fund balance as well as the operational needs of the district (with limited state funding) may restrict districts from building adequate savings to fund facilities and infrastructure needs to accommodate construction costs of building a new facility or repairing and renovating an older one.

It has been more than six years since the school district held a bond election. The 2016 bond program included $481 million to fund initiatives recommended by the Plano ISD Facilities and Technology Task Force. All Plano ISD campuses were impacted by district-wide security updates, renovations and facility upgrades, as well as technology improvements. 2016 Bond Program website.

Many large and fast-growth school districts have had voter-approved bond elections that exceeded a billion dollars. Since 2017, voters in Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Cypress-Fairbanks, Prosper and Forney have approved bond referendums over $1 billion. Voters in Dallas ISD approved $3.2 billion in 2020. 

The Robinson Fine Arts Center is a performance and exhibition center dedicated to the visual and performing arts. It was funded through the district’s voter approved bond referendum in 2016. The facility features a main theater with seating for 1,500, a Studio Theater with retractable seating for 200, a rehearsal/dance room, and an art gallery for exhibitions. 

The proposed Plano ISD Event Center would be a multi-use, arena-style flexible event space used for graduations, sporting events, UIL competitions, FFA events, robotics competitions, teacher in-service activities, national and regional tournaments, and a myriad of other public and private events. The $130 million budget is based on designing a facility that includes approximately 8,500 seats with features similar to the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland ISD.  A location for the event center is to be determined.

Registered voters may cast their ballot during Early Voting or on Election Day. 

Early Voting is October 24 through November 4.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8.

Visit the Voting page to learn more. 

If you're not already a registered voter with your current address on file with the Collin County Elections Office, you have until October 11 to update your voter registration or register for the first time. 

If you have additional questions, please submit it using Plano ISD's "Let's Talk" tool.