After voters rejected a much larger package last fall, Friendswood ISD trustees have returned with a trimmed-down $81.5 million bond plan that leans hard into essentials: fixing aging buildings, replacing Westwood Elementary and bolstering career and technology programs. The proposal would raise the district's tax rate by up to $0.0349 per $100 of assessed value, which works out to about $10.47 a month, or roughly $125.64 a year, for a $500,000 home with a $140,000 homestead exemption. Trustees say the scaled-back plan is meant to tackle urgent, visible problems while respecting the message voters sent on the last bond.
What's in the package
The draft bond is divided into four propositions: Proposition A for critical infrastructure, lifecycle replacements and safety projects; Proposition B to replace Westwood Elementary; Proposition C for a career and agricultural science center; and Proposition D for districtwide technology. Top priorities include roof and fire-alarm work, replacing aging bathrooms and damaged piping at Friendswood High, upgrades to science labs at Bales and Windsong, and the purchase of 10 new buses.
The Westwood replacement concept is designed for about 600 students and would be built in phases with off-street parent stacking to ease traffic. Those details and the estimated tax impact come from district documents reviewed at the board's Feb. 2 workshop.
Board timeline and how to weigh in
The board is scheduled to consider officially ordering the election at its Feb. 9 meeting, and the FISD boardroom at 402 Laurel Drive is listed as the spot where workshops are held, according to Friendswood ISD. If trustees vote to place the measures on the May uniform election ballot, state guidance shows early voting would begin around April 20 and Election Day would fall on May 2, per the Texas Secretary of State.
That schedule gives the district a tight window to lock in ballot language, break out the four propositions clearly and roll out an outreach plan before ballots are printed, so community feedback at upcoming meetings is likely to carry extra weight.
Why trustees shrunk the ask
The pared-down package follows the Nov. 4 defeat of a $165 million bond, when voters turned down all four propositions. Trustees say feedback from that loss, along with subsequent surveys, pushed them to zero in on critical and highly visible campus needs. Local vote tallies showed solid margins against the 2025 proposal, and district leaders note that the new draft is roughly half the size of the earlier package in an effort to address affordability concerns.
Bringing a smaller, more specific slate of projects to voters is meant to make the trade-offs easier to see before a potential May vote, as reported by Reporter News.
Board reaction and next steps
Trustees repeatedly stressed that this proposal is about targeted fixes rather than a sweeping building spree. "Nearly every student is affected by Proposition A," trustee Beau Egert said, pointing to the widespread impact of basic infrastructure and safety work. Trustee Laura Seifert said the proposed career and agriculture center would expand hands-on CTE options and leadership development for students who want more real-world experience before graduation.
The Citizens Advisory Committee is set to review the draft, and trustees could vote as soon as next week on whether to call the election. If they do, the bond measure would appear on the May ballot, according to a possible board decision next week to call an election.
