Northwest ISD seeking new solutions after bond election fails

Northwest ISD is working to address enrollment growth and aging facilities after voters soundly rejected a $986 million bond package last week.

Each proposition in the bond package failed, according to unofficial results from Denton, Tarrant and Wise County elections offices:

Prop A ($938M for school facilities and capital improvements)

• For: 21,573
• Against: 32,123

Prop B ($24M for recreational facilities)

• For: 18,417
• Against: 35,332

Prop C ($9M for stadium renovations)

• For: 15,413
• Against: 38,138

Prop D ($16M for technology devices)

• For: 23,603
• Against: 29,950

Prop E (Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election)

• For: 18,781
• Against: 33,702

The votes mean the district has to find other solutions to address the current and future growth. Northwest ISD annually welcomes more than 1,000 new students in its 234 square miles, which spans three counties and 14 municipalities. Demographers project that the district will continue to grow at a fast rate, enrolling more than 5,500 new students in the next five years and 10,000 new students by the year 2030.

In the Northwest ISD Board meeting on Monday night, Superintendent Ryder Warren said the district has an estimated $25 million deficit in this year’s and next fiscal year’s budget after the VATR failed. Warren said the district will hold several budget workshops between now and the adoption of the 2021-22 budget to implement cost-saving measures and make decisions to manage student enrollment growth.

A district spokesman said the district is planning to call a new bond election in May. Before that, the district will:

• Survey voters to gather their input on the bond propositions
• Gather constituents for focus groups/listening sessions
• Reconvene the district’s Long-Range Planning Committee
• Acquire portable buildings for campuses that are at or over capacity
• Adjust school attendance boundaries to alleviate overcrowding in some of its fastest-growing areas

We are conducting a brief survey to gather feedback from registered voters on the unsuccessful November 3, 2020 Bond Election and VATRE. Please share your thoughts at https://t.co/mMWdr03Qsc

— Northwest ISD (@NorthwestISD) November 18, 2020