Dallas ISD is finalizing a multi-billion dollar bond package that could go before voters as early as this spring.
The package could top 2020鈥檚 record-setting bond election, when voters approved $3.5 billion out of the $3.7 billion request, said Drexell Owusu, chair of the district鈥檚 Bond Steering Committee.
鈥淲e鈥檙e actively trying to understand what the district鈥檚 needs are in real time,鈥� Owusu said during a recent bond meeting at LG Pinkston High School. 鈥淏ut yet-to-be-determined is the exact size of what 2026 would look like.鈥�
The district鈥檚 Citizen鈥檚 Bond Steering Committee has been meeting since March, 2025 to plan next year鈥檚 bond package.
The committee has been assessing the district鈥檚 needs department by department. The most recent meeting focused on athletics and safety & security.
Vincent Reyes, assistant superintendent for athletics, said the athletics in Dallas ISD are 鈥渂ursting at the seams,鈥� carrying great financial needs. He said some programs start before a school鈥檚 last class ends. He鈥檇 like to avoid that so team members wouldn鈥檛 have to miss class. But he said if a game or practice starts later, fields would need lights.
鈥淥nly four out of 22 baseball and softball fields have them,鈥� he said. Among his department鈥檚 nearly $305 million wish list is more than $34 million for lights.
Dallas ISD Police Chief Albert Martinez said he hopes the 2026 bond will include $40 million for school camera modernization 鈥� a state mandate 鈥� and $6.8 million for officer-worn body cameras, another state mandate.
Martinez鈥檚 total added up to $422 million.
These aren鈥檛 the costliest items being considered in the bond, which could also include billions for new buildings and renovations, as well as funds for teacher housing, the Dallas Morning News first reported.
Owusu sees the district鈥檚 greatest bond needs in new construction.
鈥淲e still have 400 portables across Dallas ISD. We would love to get every kid in a real classroom, not in a portable,鈥� he said. 鈥�That's going to take some resourcing and time. ... We鈥檝e got more work to do.鈥�
Another 2026 bond goal for Owusu is reducing the average age of the district鈥檚 structures. He said the 2020 bond resulted in enough new buildings to reduce the average age of a Dallas ISD building from 52 years to 42 or 43.
He expects trustees will approve a 2026 bond for voters. He鈥檚 just not sure if it鈥檒l appear in the spring election or the fall. He said inflation would likely make a later bond costlier.
Dallas ISD鈥檚 last Citizen鈥檚 Bond Steering Committee meeting is set for Nov. 10.
Bill Zeeble is 四虎影院鈥檚 education reporter. Got a tip? Email Bill at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on X .
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