Houston ISD bonds rejected: Reactions to failure of $4.4 billion bond measures

HOUSTON - Voters rejected $4.4 billion in bond measures, the largest in state history, for the Houston Independent School District.

It was a two-part bond measure.

Proposition A was about $4 billion for new school buildings. It was voted down with 58% voting no, and 42% voting yes. Proposition B was $440 million for new technology with 59% of voters said no, while 41% said yes, defeating the bond.

RELATED: Houston ISD’s Propositions A and B will not pass, district says

Supporters argue that HISD needs critical and urgent upgrades to outdated buildings and technology.

But some analysts believe it failed due to the state takeover of the schools.

"In this instance, it moved beyond supporting the schools and infrastructure and early education.  It moved into basically a referendum on Mike Miles.  Do we like him?  Do we not like him?  Do we like that the state appointed someone to take over the district?  And this is how people voted.  They voted overwhelmingly. We don't like Mike Miles," said Dr. Bob Sanborn, President and CEO of Children at Risk.

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"This is not a political issue.  When you think about who won or lost, there's no winner here.  I think the people who opposed it, if they're celebrating, I want them to do a victory lap around Bene Vidas Elementary School and Bonham Elementary School, and tell those kids they have to wait," responded Mike Miles, HISD Superintendent.

Dr. Sanborn says he believes there will be another, larger bond measure when Houston ISD is no longer under state control.

Miles says in the meantime, HISD will continue to seek money from the legislature for capital improvements, but he says that will be a stop-gap measure, not a solution.