Dallas district wins approval of $6.2 billion bond request

Voters in the Dallas school district have approved a $6.2 billion bond package, the largest in Texas history, by a wide margin over the weekend.

The Dallas Morning News reports that the bonds will provide funds for a massive round of construction and renovation projects that will take years to complete.

The biggest piece of the bond package will go toward construction and renovation projects, including building 26 new schools and expansions and upgrades of other campuses. District leaders have said the projects will enable them to remove about 700 portable classrooms.

The bond proposal was divided into four separate proposals. Proposition A asked for $5,928,000,000 to pay for constructing and renovating school facilities and other improvements. Proposition B sought $144,700,000 for technology upgrades. Proposition C sought $143,340,000 in bonds to refinance district debt. Proposition D asked for $26,250,000 to repair and renovation swimming pools.

All four propositions received at least 70% voter support.

Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde said district leaders will begin work quickly. 

District leaders will communicate with families "in the very near future" about when they might expect to see work begin at their children's schools, Elizalde said.

Joe Carreón, president of the Dallas school board, said the bond passage enables the district to continue the momentum it built through previous bond issues in 2015 and 2020.