We strongly support public education and the use of public bonds to improve our communities, but we recommend voting against HISD Bonds Propositions A and B for several important reasons.

1. Overly Large and Long-Term Debt: This bond only provides major renovations, including full or partial rebuilds, to 35 schools. However, the bond debt is so massive that we likely won’t be able to pass another bond until 2042. A smaller, more focused bond—perhaps around $2 billion—would be more reasonable. Even without the current mismanagement under Superintendent Miles, this is a serious concern.
2. Poor Planning: This bond is poorly thought out. Tens of millions are allocated to schools slated for closure through collocation, and costs are heavily inflated compared to both the HISD facilities assessment report and Alvin ISD’s current bond. Security expenses are nearly four times higher than projections from just two years ago. Additionally, some schools receiving funds for upgrades or lead abatement were rebuilt just 4-7 years ago and don’t even have HVAC or lead abatement issues. All of these raise serious concerns.
3. Miles' Mismanagement: Miles has a track record of misusing public funds, from wasting half a million on a musical about himself to blowing $100 million on redundant furniture and technology.  Even worse, he fired half of the district’s HVAC technicians—the very people who could fix our failing AC systems. And to top it off, Miles is leaving money on the table by failing to pursue safety grants from the state, along with federal sustainability, FEMA, and EPA funding that could be addressing our district’s urgent needs right now.
4. Lack of Oversight: This $4.4 billion bond feels like a blank check with little accountability. The appointed school board rubber-stamps decisions, and the oversight committee was handpicked by Miles and his staff. While an elected board, even a weak one, provides some level of accountability, that’s missing here. 
5. Harmful Takeover: Superintendent Mike Miles' reckless policies have thrown our district into chaos and are worsening inequalities. Since the takeover, 40% of our teachers and half of our principals have been forced out. Libraries are closing, buildings are falling into disrepair because of Miles, and students are even banned from reading novels in English classes across the district. Even kindergartners are subjected to AI-generated PowerPoints instead of the hands-on learning that research shows is best for young minds. Critical programs like special education and homeless services are being gutted, while executive salaries have skyrocketed. These damaging decisions will take years to fix, and this bond does nothing to protect or improve our children's education. We must seize this moment to demand better for all students.

The Harris County Democratic and Republican Parties both oppose the bond. Kids deserve a better bond. We deserve accountable leadership. Wrong bond, wrong time!

Tell your friends.