Mesquite ISD board calls $600 million bond election for May 3

The Mesquite Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 7–0 to adopt an order calling a bond election for May 3, 2025, to fund safety, modernization and capacity projects across the district.

Doctor Fields, who presented the facility committee's recommendation, said the package addresses security upgrades, consolidation of two older elementary schools, significant improvements at three high schools and transportation and infrastructure needs. "Addressing all of these items would necessitate a $600,000,000 bond," Fields said as she outlined the two-proposition structure: Proposition A for major facility projects (about $578.5 million) and Proposition B (about $21.5 million) for districtwide instructional-technology replacement.

Trustee Everett moved the order and Trustee Bingham seconded. Board members asked consultants about timing and tax impact. Jason Hughes, the board's financial advisor, said a first sale could occur mid-July to August 2025 and that the board has used conservative modeling. "We saved about $48,000,000 of gross savings just from refinancing over the last 10 years," Hughes said, explaining that refinancing and conservative assumptions add capacity and flexibility.

Under the committee's plan the committee considered a 1¢ increase in the I&S rate to finance the package; using the district average home value cited in the presentation, presenters estimated a household impact in the examples shown. The board emphasized that the authorization is to call the election; actual sales and timing will require subsequent board votes if voters approve the propositions.

Next steps: voter registration deadline was listed as April 3; early voting is scheduled April 22–29, and election day is Saturday, May 3, 2025. If approved by voters, the district plans staged bond sales beginning in 2025 with follow-on issuances in later years to complete projects.