Voters in the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD rejected all five school funding propositions on the ballot, according to the district's coverage of the election. Nearly 200,000 ballots were cast, and each measure lost by a wide margin. The measures included an operating tax increase and four capital bond packages.
The district had projected a cumulative 9-cent tax rate increase if all five passed. With the measures defeated, the district has no new local tax revenue to address an $80 million shortfall. The votes also removed more than $1 billion in planned capital improvements and technology spending.
Rice University political science professor Mark Jones said it was a difficult year for school districts asking voters for funding. He said concerns about affordability and the economy made it hard to ask residents to pay more in property taxes. Superintendent Doug Killian said the district has enough reserves to keep campuses running for now, but significant adjustments are coming. He said the district may later propose a smaller bond focused on emergency roofs and HVAC repairs.