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After narrow loss, Arlington ISD weighs athletic projects from failed Prop C and whether to use bond interest earnings or return to voters
Summary
Proposition C (approx. $31.5M for athletic and related campus items) failed narrowly in May. At the June 16 meeting staff reviewed Prop C project details and presented four board options — pause, use 2019 bond interest earnings for high‑priority safety items, refile the same package in Nov 2026, or expand/return at a later election. Trustees debated safety priorities and voter trust.
Proposition C, the $31.5 million athletics‑focused portion of the district’s recent bond package, failed by a narrow margin. On June 16 district staff summarized the projects included in Prop C (synthetic turf for multi‑purpose activity centers, baseball/softball turf, junior high track resurfacing, storage buildings, scoreboards, weight room equipment and wrestling mats) and presented options ranging from doing nothing to using prior bond interest earnings to fund prioritized safety replacements.
Dr. Hill, who led the Prop C briefing, highlighted safety and life‑cycle concerns: "the turf fields are nearing or beyond their 8–10 year life expectancy; some GMAX tests show areas approaching thresholds where the surface could be unsafe," he said. Trustees debated whether to use interest earnings from the 2019 bond to address urgent safety and maintenance items or respect voter rejection and return to the ballot.
Trustee discussion: several trustees urged a hybrid approach. Justin Chapa suggested using interest earnings to address imminent safety risks (MAC turf replacements, junior high track resurfacing, wrestling mats and some weight‑room equipment) while reserving larger investments (baseball/softball turf) — which would nearly exhaust the available interest — for a future voter‑approved proposition. Trustee Willbanks urged caution about a November election because of heavy statewide ballot activity; others warned that legislative changes to bond thresholds might make future passage harder.
Financing context: CFO Nberto Rivas told the board there were roughly $45 million in bond interest earnings available now; using those funds for all Prop C items would likely expend nearly all of that pool and leave little for other facilities needs.
Next steps: trustees asked staff to return by late July with concrete options that show which safety‑critical items could be funded from interest earnings while preserving capacity for other facility needs or for a future bond proposition. They also asked for communication materials that clearly explain to voters the difference between bond funds, tax increases and interest earnings.
The board did not take a binding vote on Prop C funding at the June 16 meeting; trustees requested follow‑up scenarios for July.
