Cy-Fair ISD asks voters for $1.63 billion bond in November for repairs, buses and technology
Cy-Fair ISD has put a four-proposition, $1.63 billion bond referendum on the November ballot to pay for repairs, buses, technology and other replacements at existing campuses and facilities.
The Cy-Fair ISD board of trustees approved the measure Aug. 10 by a 6-1 vote. Trustee Christine Kalmbach opposed it. Voters will decide each proposition separately on Nov. 3, 2026.
The package does not include new school buildings. CFISD Chief Operations Officer Matt Morgan said the propositions cover “lifecycle replacements” at existing campuses and facilities.
Morgan said proposed projects include buses, HVAC systems, police radios and vehicles, and student, teacher and classroom technology. Bus replacements are in Proposition B.
The district first considered a May 2 election date. Superintendent Doug Killian said Harris County told the district it would not have enough election devices to support a May election, so trustees moved the measure to November.
The bond plan follows work by the Long Range Planning Committee, which Cy-Fair ISD assembled in fall 2025. The 65-member panel included students, parents and staff members and reviewed needed updates before presenting findings to trustees in February.
Morgan said district staff had been tracking the proposed repairs and replacements on an ongoing basis and began discussing the findings with the board about a year ago.
Killian said the district needs the bond to preserve existing facilities. “We have to maintain the facilities that we have, just like a regular homeowner has,” he said. “You’ve got things that cost you quite a bit of money that you don’t pay with your day-to-day operating budget.”
The district’s fiscal 2026-27 operating budget projects an $80.9 million shortfall, according to district information. Morgan said bond money cannot be used for operating expenses, but using it for repairs and replacements would keep those projects from drawing on the operating budget.
The board also approved a 12-cent voter-approval tax rate election for the same November ballot.
Leslie Martone, president of the Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce and a member of the planning committee, said the tax rate election was not discussed during committee meetings because of its timing. She said that makes the ballot more complicated for voters and urged the community to learn more about state school funding.
Morgan said the bond would affect residents whether or not they have children in the district. He said keeping existing facilities in good condition supports district performance and home values.
Cy-Fair ISD’s recent bond elections have increased in size. District records show a $1.2 billion bond in 2014 and a $1.76 billion bond in 2019.
The district is one of the largest in the Houston area and serves communities in northwest Harris County.
