Alliance Independent School District

10/07/2026

One thing to remember as we get closer to the Keller ISD bond election: your circle of friends is not necessarily the electorate.

If most of the people you know support the bond, it can start to feel like everyone supports it. If most of the people you know oppose it, the same thing happens in the other direction. Social media only makes that echo chamber louder.

The 2019 Keller ISD bond is a pretty good reminder of why we shouldn't confuse what we're hearing with what actually happens at the polls. That $315 million bond passed with 53.46% of the vote, but only about 15.7% of Keller ISD's registered voters cast a ballot in that election.

Of the 113,643 registered voters, only 17,792 showed up. After accounting for the 239 people who didn't vote on the bond proposition, only about 15.4% of registered voters actually weighed in on the bond. The 9,384 YES votes represented only about 8.3% of all registered voters, while the 8,169 NO votes represented about 7.2%.

That's why simply knowing someone agrees with you isn't enough. If a friend tells you they're voting the same way you are, encourage them to actually go vote. Send them the early voting dates. Check back with them. Better yet, go vote together.

Whether you're FOR or AGAINST the bond, don't assume the people who agree with you are going to show up just because they're passionate about it.

In 2019, more than 84% of Keller ISD's registered voters stayed home.

This time, whatever side you're on, make sure your voice actually makes it out of the echo chamber and into the voting booth.

10/01/2026

We keep hearing from some community members, and from current Trustee Chris Coker, that they'd rather see the bond fail and have Keller ISD come back with a smaller package. But there's a problem with waiting: the work doesn't necessarily get cheaper.

Keller ISD's last bond was in 2019. Today, Prop A alone is $756.3 million for maintenance, repairs and renovations at 34 campuses and facilities.

Using a conservative 6% annual construction cost escalation assumption, today's $756.3 million worth of work pencils out to roughly $599 million in 2022 dollars. That's not an exact historical price tag, the scope wasn't identical and construction costs don't move uniformly, but 6% isn't an unusually aggressive assumption. Some construction-cost measures showed substantially higher increases during portions of 2021–23.

And yes, we'd all like a smaller bond. Who wouldn't?

But that raises a fair question for the district's leadership over the years: Why didn't Keller ISD pursue another bond in 2022 or 2023, when many of these needs could potentially have been addressed at lower construction costs?

And for Coker specifically, who joined the Board in May 2023 and now wants a smaller package, there's another fair question: Why is waiting again the better financial strategy? Why didn’t he push for a bond in 2023? 2024? 2025?

A future bond can absolutely be smaller by doing less. But voting this one down and bringing substantially the same repairs back later doesn't guarantee a smaller price.

Sometimes kicking the can down the road just gives you a more expensive can.

In this case, a 157 Million Dollar Can.

09/30/2026

Our friends at North Fort Worth Alliance were kind enough to share last night’s Keller ISD School Board candidate forum on YouTube. If you missed it, you can watch here:

https://youtu.be/rH1dbz_ysFc

We’ll also give credit where it’s due: the candidates who attended, notice the wording there, were a welcome improvement over some we’ve seen in recent years.

It’s refreshing to watch a candidate forum and feel hopeful instead of wondering whether your blood pressure medication needs adjusting.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

09/29/2026

We’ve spent a lot of time talking about what happens if the Keller ISD bond passes, but there’s another question worth asking: What actually happens if it doesn’t?

There are a few assumptions floating around, so let’s start with a big one. A NO vote does not automatically lower Keller ISD’s tax rate. The district states that all five propositions can be funded within the existing tax rate and that the rate would remain the same whether the propositions pass or fail.

It also doesn’t suddenly create $756 million that can be redirected to teacher raises. Texas school finance separates the money used for daily operations from the money used to repay voter approved bond debt. Keller ISD’s M&O side pays for things like salaries, utilities and everyday operations, while I&S is used to repay bond debt for capital projects.

So what does a NO vote definitely do? It means Keller ISD does not receive voter authorization to issue the proposed bonds. Proposition A’s $756.3 million in proposed maintenance, repairs and renovations therefore could not move forward using that voter authorized bond funding.

But here’s the part that sometimes gets lost: a NO vote doesn’t make the underlying problems disappear.

The 20 plus year old air conditioner doesn’t become younger after Election Day. The roof doesn’t stop aging. Plumbing and electrical systems don’t reset their clocks. Keller Middle School doesn’t suddenly need less work. Some projects could be postponed, changed or eliminated, but repairs that become necessary still have to be dealt with.

Keller ISD says it is already spending millions from its operating budget addressing aging building systems, meaning some of those costs are currently competing with the same operating dollars used for salaries and student programs.

And then there’s the possibility that some of these projects eventually come back to voters in another bond election. They might come back smaller. They might come back differently. A future board could decide some aren't needed at all. But if essentially the same work comes back later, waiting isn't free.

Keller ISD says construction and equipment costs have been rising by at least 6% per year and projects that delaying this bond package could add approximately $50 million to its cost. That's the district's projection, not a guarantee that every individual project will increase exactly 6% each year, but the math illustrates the problem.

A $10 million project increasing 6% annually becomes about $10.6 million after one year, $11.2 million after two and $11.9 million after three. You didn't get a nicer roof or a better air conditioner for that additional $1.9 million. You just bought it later.

The math doesn't particularly care. A NO vote doesn't repair an air conditioner, replace a roof, guarantee a lower tax rate or make an aging building younger. It means the proposed debt isn't authorized. After that, Keller ISD still owns the same buildings, and the district and future boards have to decide what gets repaired with existing dollars, what gets delayed, what gets changed or eliminated, and what eventually comes back to voters.

That doesn't mean every project should automatically be approved because prices might increase. Voters can decide that.

But “vote NO and save $756 million” isn't the complete equation either.
When we're talking about buildings that aren't going anywhere, there are really two costs worth examining:

What does doing the work cost, and what does NOT doing the work cost?

Because there's a price attached to both.

09/28/2026

North Fort Worth Alliance is hosting a Candidate Forum on Tuesday.

6:30 PM.

09/25/2026

This may be the most confusing sentence in the entire bond discussion: “Keller ISD can issue $828 million in bonds without increasing the tax rate.”

Wait. How do you borrow $828 million without needing more money to make the payments?

For this one, forget school finance for a minute. Let’s pretend Keller ISD is a family sitting around the kitchen table. Maybe in a nearby town of Fort Kel-tauga Hills.

This family has a mortgage, a car payment and a couple of old home improvement loans. Now the AC is 25 years old, the roof is leaking and the plumbing needs work. Somebody says, “Good news. We can borrow money for all these repairs without increasing the percentage of our income we're already spending on debt.”

Naturally, the next question is: HOW?

There are really three things happening and we’re going to try and explain it. Wish us luck!

1. SOME OLD LOANS ARE BEING PAID OFF.

Imagine you've been making a $500 car payment for five years. Next month, it's finally paid off. If your house now needs a roof and you take out a loan with a $500 payment, you have new debt, but your total monthly debt payment hasn't necessarily increased.
That's part of what happens with school bonds. Keller ISD is continually paying down older bond debt. As those obligations decline or disappear, that creates room for new debt.

Think of it as:
OLD LOAN OUT and NEW LOAN IN

Not simply piling every new loan on top of every old one forever.

2. THE FAMILY'S INCOME HAS GROWN.
Imagine your family made $70,000 when you originally took out the mortgage. Ten years later, the household makes $90,000. You haven't increased the percentage of your income going toward debt, but that same percentage now represents more dollars.

For Keller ISD, the equivalent is the taxable property base. The district collects taxes from the taxable value of property across the district. If that total value grows, the same $0.33 I&S tax rate can generate more money for debt payments.

This is also why “no tax-rate increase” does not mean “your tax bill can't increase.” If your taxable property value increases, your bill can increase even if the rate stays exactly the same.

3. YOU CAN PLAN WHEN THE PAYMENTS HAPPEN.

Your car might be paid off in 2027, the roof loan in 2030 and the mortgage several years after that. If you're planning another major purchase, you'd look at all those payments and figure out when you have room in the household budget.

Bond debt can be structured similarly. Keller doesn't receive $828 million the morning after an election. Bonds can be issued over time, with payments scheduled around existing debt. Existing debt can also sometimes be refinanced when market conditions make that beneficial.

Picture the family sitting at the kitchen table with a calendar saying, “The car is paid off here, this loan ends here, our income has grown, and we can fit the new AC payment here.”

That's basically bond capacity.

So when Keller ISD says it can issue $828 million without increasing the tax rate, it doesn't mean Keller has $828 million sitting in the bank or that borrowing the money is free.

It means the district projects it can fit the payments for the new bonds inside its existing debt-service tax rate because old debt is being paid down, the taxable property base can generate revenue, and the new debt can be issued and repaid over time.

In household terms:
“We're already putting this much of our income toward debt. Some old loans are ending, our income has grown, and we've mapped out the new payments. We believe we can borrow for the repairs without increasing the percentage we're putting toward debt.”

There is still debt. There is still interest. The projections still depend on assumptions about things like property values, interest rates and when bonds are issued.

But that's the basic math behind “no tax-rate increase.”

And at least now we know how Dad thinks he can afford the new roof.

09/25/2026

Keller ISD Board Meeting Recap - Sept. 24

Well, that was quick. Meeting adjourned at 5:47 p.m.

President’s Update: John Birt spoke about the upcoming bond election and the district’s facility needs. We’ll give credit where credit is due: Birt’s position on the need for a bond has evolved over the years, and he has become more supportive of addressing the district’s long-term facility needs.

Sadly the delay he and the rump board caused in not pushing forward a bond years ago will cost the district millions in inflation.

Superintendent’s Update: Dr. Cory Wilson gave a brief update on consolidation. The district is still waiting for complete enrollment data before finalizing recommendations, with the goal of letting employees know the plan for next school year before Christmas break. He also reiterated that the district’s total tax rate would remain unchanged at $1.0852 per $100 of taxable value.

Public Comment: The only speaker was Ambika Sharma, who said she is running for the Tarrant Appraisal District board. She discussed appraisal policy and her race for the position.

The big item: the tax rate
The Board approved the same total tax rate as last year, 6-0:

M&O: $0.7552
I&S: $0.3300
Total: $1.0852

M&O pays for salaries and everyday operations. I&S pays principal and interest on eligible debt, and those I&S dollars cannot simply be moved over to M&O to pay salaries or routine expenses.

One confusing piece worth explaining is the Maximum Compressed Rate (MCR). Keller’s MCR is $0.6169, and it isn't simply a number the Board chooses. Texas' school finance system calculates each district's MCR using state and local property value growth. TEA explains that compression changes the mix of state and local funding for Tier One, rather than increasing the district's underlying Tier One entitlement.

Keller then has 8 golden pennies ($0.0800) and about 5.83 copper pennies ($0.0583), bringing M&O to $0.7552. Golden pennies are not subject to recapture, while copper penny revenue can be.

Trustee Heather Washington asked for them to explain to the public about what happened if we raised the tax rate. The important wrinkle is that an additional tax penny does not necessarily mean Keller gets to keep every additional dollar it collects. Depending on which portion of the M&O rate is increased, Texas' Tier Two funding and recapture rules come into play. That's why "just raise the rate and keep the money" isn't how Texas school finance works.

Interestingly, the adopted $1.0852 rate is actually below the state's calculated No-New-Revenue rate of $1.160676 this year. That's a reversal from the previous two years, when Keller's adopted rate was above NNR.

The Board also approved the Annual Certification of Compliance related to SB 12, one of the new state law compliance requirements dealing with DEI and other school policies.

Final score: Tax rate stays the same, consolidation decisions are still coming, bond discussion continues, and everyone was out the door by 5:47.

These short meetings are good for 3 reasons:

- John Allison got a breather from explaining things.
- These short meetings really will help John Birt and Chris transition to life after being board members
- Finally, they give Chris time to really focus on the “NON-FUN” WORK.

09/24/2026

How do other states do it?

Ok, This post is for us. We got real curious, and while nobody asked us this, we wanted to know. We all know that nobody likes bonds. Nobody gets excited about borrowing millions of dollars, paying interest for decades or seeing another school bond proposition on the ballot.

But here's the deal: School bonds are largely the result of how Texas has chosen to pay for school buildings.

We got curious about how other states handle this, so we did a little digging. And it turns out, Texas isn't the only state that needs to replace roofs, repair air conditioners and renovate aging schools. Other states just have different ways of paying for it.

FIRST, HOW DOES TEXAS DO IT?

(We know, we know, we have explained this part before, but a little extra practice never hurt anyone)

Texas school districts have two main buckets of property tax money. Maintenance and Operations (M&O) pays for everyday expenses like teachers, utilities and routine maintenance. Interest and Sinking (I&S) pays off voter approved debt, including bonds.
Texas provides some state assistance for school facilities, but districts are largely responsible for financing their own major construction and renovations.

So when a district needs to replace roofs across 20 campuses or rebuild a 50 year old school, it generally can't just pull that money out of its regular operating budget without affecting other priorities.

Instead, it asks voters for permission to borrow the money.
But what if we did things differently?

MASSACHUSETTS: THE SCHOOL BUILDING PIGGY BANK

Massachusetts dedicates one penny of its 6.25% state sales tax to a fund that helps communities pay for school construction and renovation.

Think of it like a community piggy bank. Every time someone buys something, a little money goes into a fund specifically for school buildings.

When a community has an eligible project, the state can help pay for it. The community still has to contribute, but it isn't responsible for the entire bill.

MARYLAND: THE STATE SPLITS THE CHECK

Maryland shares eligible school construction costs with local communities. For fiscal year 2027, the state's contribution ranges from 50% to 99%, depending on the county.

Imagine going out to dinner with a friend who agrees to pick up part of the tab.

You still pay your share, but you're not stuck with the entire bill.
Maryland's system works somewhat like that, with the state's contribution varying based on factors including a community's ability to pay.

CALIFORNIA: EVERYBODY CHIPS IN

California still uses school bonds, but it also has a statewide construction program that helps local districts pay for their projects.

In 2024, California voters approved a $10 billion statewide bond for school and community college facilities. The state generally covers 50% of eligible new construction costs and 60% of eligible renovation costs, with additional assistance available to qualifying districts.

Think of it like a group of neighbors pooling their money to help with major repairs. Individual homeowners still have to contribute, but they don't necessarily have to finance the entire project themselves.

California taxpayers still repay those statewide bonds, with interest. The difference is that some costs are shared across the state rather than falling entirely on individual communities.

SO WHY DOES TEXAS KEEP NEEDING BONDS?

Because Texas has created a system in which local districts are largely responsible for financing their own school buildings.
And those buildings don't stop aging just because voters are tired of bond elections.

None of this means every bond proposal is necessary, every project is appropriately priced or every district has managed its facilities perfectly. Taxpayers should absolutely ask those questions, and districts should have the documentation and financial oversight to answer them.

So, go ahead and ask why Texas relies so heavily on local borrowing to maintain public school infrastructure in the first place.
But here is what we found:

Massachusetts has a dedicated sales tax.
Maryland shares construction costs.
California combines statewide and local bonds.
Texas relies heavily on local districts to finance their own facilities.

Different systems. Different ways of dividing the bill. Same reality: Somebody has to pay for the buildings.

Texas schools keep asking for bonds because that's the financing system Texas has created.

And until that system changes, local bond elections will remain a major way Texas communities pay for their schools.

09/23/2026

WHY CAN'T WE JUST USE THE BOND MONEY TO PAY TEACHERS?

On of the comments we get a lot, and see on other pages when bonds come up is:

“Instead of borrowing hundreds of millions for buildings, why don't we spend that money on teachers?”

It's a honest question, and we'd like teachers to be compensated properly, especially considering how far Keller ISD has fallen compared with surrounding districts on teacher pay. But here's the weird world of Texas school finance: bond money can't be used to pay teachers.

Think of the district budget like your household finances. (Bear with us if you already know this)

M&O, or Maintenance & Operations, is your checking account. It pays for groceries, electricity, insurance, toilet paper and those 14 streaming services you keep meaning to cancel. In Keller ISD, that's teachers and staff, utilities, classroom supplies, insurance and the everyday costs of running schools.

I&S, or Interest & Sinking, is basically your mortgage account. Despite sounding like what happened to the Titanic, it pays the debt on voter-approved bonds used for long term capital projects.
You can't take out a 20 year home improvement loan to replace your roof and then announce, “Never mind the roof. We're using it for groceries.”

The same applies here. The $756 million in Proposition A isn't $756 million sitting in Keller ISD's bank account. It's authorization to borrow money for specific capital projects. If the bond fails, Keller doesn't suddenly have $756 million available for teacher raises.
But here's where the two budgets do intersect.

Your 25-year-old air conditioner doesn't care which account you'd rather use. If it dies in August, you're fixing it.

When aging HVAC systems, roofs, plumbing and electrical systems fail, those expenses can put pressure on M&O, the same side of the budget that pays teachers and funds classrooms.

It's like unexpectedly pulling $12,000 from your checking account for a new AC. You didn't technically spend the grocery money on the air conditioner, but I promise you the air conditioner affected the grocery budget.

And with a School Board election coming up, this is worth remembering: if a candidate says raising teacher and staff pay is a priority while also opposing the bond, it's fair to ask how they plan to do both. If more facility costs have to come from M&O, that's the same pot of money that pays employees. So what's the plan?

So yes, Keller ISD's teacher, nurses, counselors, school administrators, and aides pay deserves serious attention. But “instead of spending $756 million on buildings, give it to teachers” isn't actually one of the choices on the ballot.

A bond can't pay teachers. But how we pay for our buildings can absolutely affect the budget that does.

09/22/2026

KELLER ISD BOARD PREVIEW - SEPTEMBER 24

If the last few months of Keller ISD Board meetings have felt like they needed popcorn, Thursday night looks a little different.

This one is pretty greige, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few things worth watching.

THE 2026–27 TAX RATE

The Board is scheduled to consider a total tax rate of $1.0852 per $100 of taxable value, broken down as:

Maintenance & Operations: $0.7552
Interest & Sinking (Debt): $0.3300
Total: $1.0852

The district is not proposing to raise the tax rate.

We would not be shocked, however, if there is some grandstanding from one board member about whether the district should lower it. Last year, that board member and Charles both grandstanded about lower the tax rate, which is already at it’s lowest in decades. Hopefully they'll save everyone some time and not do that. It might also avoid us having to pay the Explainer in Chief John Allison hazard pay for having to slowly explain things to this board member in small words.

Keller ISD has already spent a lot of time talking about limited operating revenue, teacher pay, aging facilities and maintenance needs. Lowering a tax rate sounds simple. What matters is what revenue would be lost and what would have to change as a result.

And with an $828 million bond election approaching, the $0.3300 I&S portion is particularly worth understanding. The district's position has been that the proposed bonds can be issued without increasing the I&S tax rate.

A $107,960 BUDGET AMENDMENT

The Board will also consider a $107,960.27 budget amendment for Tarrant Appraisal District costs. The final payment amount was not available when the district adopted its budget, and the new amount represents an estimated 4.05% increase.

Nothing terribly exciting, but it is a good example of the expenses that can change after a school district adopts its annual budget.

AND THEN, SCHOOL BUILDINGS DO WHAT SCHOOL BUILDINGS DO

Several purchases over $25,000 are also on the agenda, including:

• $148,244 to replace the compressor on Chiller 1 at Hillwood Middle School
• $150,000 for district-wide spot cooler and heat pump rentals, including installation and removal
• $50,000 for flooring repairs and materials for the auxiliary gym at Indian Springs Middle School
• Demographic services

None of those items will generate many exciting Facebook arguments, but they are also a pretty good snapshot of what it costs to operate a large school district with dozens of buildings.

Air conditioners break. Floors wear out. Enrollment changes. Appraisal districts send bills.

And somebody has to pay for all of it.

WANT TO SPEAK?
As always, if you have something to say, don't just say it on Facebook. You can sign up to address the Board at the meeting:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1aObEsjPp7StZNaT_lv2MqsneTQBlS9ym1K-LrjXiXC8/viewform?edit_requested=true

So unless something unexpected happens Thursday night, this looks like a fairly routine meeting.

Tax rate. Budget amendment. Chillers. Spot coolers. Flooring.

Very greige.

But sometimes the boring meetings tell you quite a bit about how a school district actually works.