Spring Branch ISD Wants Voters to OK $631 Million in Sports Facility Bonds

Trustees in Spring Branch Independent School District are asking voters to approve $631 million in property tax-backed bonds—all of which would be spent upgrading athletic facilities.

Four separate bond propositions are on the May 3 ballot:

Prop A: $353.7 ($575 million with interest) would be used to upgrade athletic facilities at four high schools: Memorial, Northbrook, Spring Woods, and Stratford.

Prop B: $127.9 million ($208 million with interest) would be spent renovating Darrell Tully Stadium and Don Coleman Coliseum.

Prop C: $76.9 million ($125 million with interest) would pay for rebuilding and relocating W.W. Emmons Natatorium.

Prop D: $72.8 million ($118 million with interest) would be used to renovate and rebuild Reggie Grob Stadium.

With interest, the bonds would cost taxpayers more than $1 billion, according to information provided by the district but not found on the bond website—60 percent more than the amount voters will see on the ballot.

Spring Branch ISD property taxpayers are currently on the hook for $1.5 billion in outstanding bond debt principal and interest.

In a news release announcing the bonds, School Board President Lisa Andrews Alpe stated the current sports facilities “are now woefully out of date and inadequate to accommodate the district’s athletics and performance events and competitions for the future.”

District officials calculated that if all four propositions pass, the maximum anticipated tax rate increase would be $0.0475 per $100 of valuation. For a $500,000 home, the estimated annual additional tax burden would be $142.

The current debt repayment (interest and sinking) tax rate is $0.3045.

Three school board seats are also on the May ballot.

Position 5 candidates are Diana Martinez Alexander and Jennifer Hyland.

Position 6 candidates are J. Steven Smelley, David Enrique López, and Walker Agnew Jr.

Position 7 candidates are Juan Jose Reyes, Patricia Cabrera, and incumbent Caroline H. Bennett.

Early voting will be held April 22-29, 2025. Election Day is Saturday, May 3.

Erin Anderson

Erin Anderson is a Senior Journalist for Texas Scorecard, reporting on state and local issues, events, and government actions that impact people in communities throughout Texas and the DFW Metroplex. A native Texan, Erin grew up in the Houston area and now lives in Collin County.