Texas voters rejected several athletic bond measures Tuesday
Even in a state where football is king, voters in fast-growing Prosper ISD decided against bond approval for a $94 million stadium four years after the district opened a similar state-of-the-art facility.
"The athletic facilities, I support that as well, it is always hard for me to see how much these things cost," said Prosper voter Cheryl Holihan.
The $2.8 billion school bond election brought out long lines of voters in Prosper.
While funding for educational resources passed, it was the new football stadium proposal that failed.
The 8,000 seat facility would have had nearly twice the projected price tag as the previous $48 million, 12,000 seat stadium.
Prosper ISD voters reject $94 million football stadium bond measure
The athletics measure was just part of a massive $2.8 billion bond package from the fast-growing district.
One change that may have impacted the vote is how bond issues are presented since 2020, school districts have had to break each proposal into separate items.
"I think it really has made it harder for schools to get funding for athletics facilities because they can no longer bundle them in packages with other more popular items," said SMU political scientist Matthew Wilson.
It's not just Prosper ISD.
Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD voters rejected a $47 million bond to improve athletic buildings.
Voters also rejected a $51 million swimming facility.
In Lewisville ISD, voters truck down a nearly $200 million plan to renovate athletic facilities, an aquatic center, renovations to four football stadium and construction and renovation of indoor athletic facilities at five high schools.
Wilson thinks there is just an overall lower appetite for large athletic spending in some areas.
"We've seen in some cities around the country when it comes to dealing with professional sports teams that voters have pushed back against major investments in sports venues," he said.
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Previous stadium votes in North Texas have attracted national attention, like Allen ISD's Eagle Stadium, approved in a 2009 bond package that included performing arts and transportation measures.
Looking forward, Wilson believes the projects will be a tougher sell.
"I think school districts are going to have to do a better job of making the case for why a facility is really needed and why it justifies a community expenditure rather than just assuming everybody loves football. So the voters are automatically going to get on board," he said.
The athletic bond rejections weren't just in North Texas.
Katy ISD voters and others across the state also had rejections.