Dallas ISD
$6.2BLargest school bond in Texas history — 26 replacement schools, technology refresh, and safety upgrades across all 140,000+ students.
View Guide →Data current as of April 2, 2026. Grand Prairie site selection details pending city announcement. Learn more →
DFW Bond Intelligence Suite
$7.9 Billion in Public Capital.
One Saturday.
Four jurisdictions. 4 bond elections. May 2, 2026. This dashboard breaks down every proposition, every dollar, and every accountability gap — so you can vote with full information.
Four Jurisdictions
What's on the Ballot
$7.9 billion across four DFW jurisdictions on May 2, 2026. Select a card to see full breakdowns — propositions, tax impact, accountability record, and our position.
City of Fort Worth
$845MNo projected tax-rate increase; covers streets, public safety, parks, and the city's first-ever affordable-housing bond proposition.
View Guide →City of Grand Prairie
$327MFirst major bond in 25 years — streets, drainage, parks, and public facilities across a three-county service area.
View Guide →Arlington ISD
$501MSchool modernization, safety improvements, and career-education facilities; strongest accountability record in this cohort.
View Guide →Ready to go deeper?
The full Governing the Gap policy brief — including investor analysis, PFC risk assessment, and accountability scorecards — is available now.
Find Your Entry Point
Whether you're a voter, a community advocate, or a capital markets professional — the same data, framed for how you need to use it.
Personal Tax Impact
What Will This Cost You?
Enter your home's taxable value to see your maximum annual tax increase. Find your taxable value on your county appraisal notice — it's different from your market value.
Find this on your county appraisal notice or tax statement.
Interactive Map
Find Your Jurisdiction
Click a jurisdiction to see the full bond breakdown, tax impact, and voter guide.
Proposition Allocation
Where the Money Goes
Proposition allocation by category across all four jurisdictions
Dollar Allocation
How Much Each Jurisdiction Is Spending
Absolute dollar allocation by category. Total: $7,873,275,000.00 across 4 jurisdictions.
Key Findings
What We Found
Five jurisdictions. $7.9 billion on the ballot. And almost none of it covered with the analytical depth voters need to make an informed decision. This analysis finds that every instrument on the May 2 ballot carries a structural story the official campaign materials omit: a PFC tax exemption asymmetry that removes $701M in annual taxable value from the same base voters are being asked to bond against; a 25-year general infrastructure gap in Grand Prairie that mirrors the trust-deficit conditions that sank Laredo’s $417M bond in 2025; accountability mechanism disparities so large that Arlington ISD and Dallas ISD effectively operate in different democratic universes despite sharing the same state law; and an equity arithmetic that most campaigns deliberately obscure — property owners pay the tax, but renters and low-income households absorb the displacement risk when public investment drives up assessed values without corresponding affordability guardrails. The question is not whether these bonds are good. The question is whether the governance structures attached to them are good enough to justify the trust.
$701M Per Year
Combined Dallas and Tarrant County property value lost annually to PFC tax exemptions — eroding the same tax base voters are being asked to bond against.
See the full finding →Same Law. Radically Different Execution.
Arlington ISD: 100/100 FIRST score, Moody’s Aa1, published meeting minutes. Dallas ISD: zero public CBSC minutes, $9M vs. $34.45M budget discrepancy on one campus.
See the accountability comparison →Grand Prairie: 25 Years Between Bonds
The same structural trust deficit that caused Laredo’s $417M bond to fail at 85% against. Per-capita ask nearly identical. The difference is in how the city communicates and delivers. (Note: a 2021 economic development bond was approved, but this is Grand Prairie’s first general infrastructure GO bond in 25 years.)
See the passage assessment →Accountability Comparison
How Transparent Is Your Jurisdiction?
Comparing accountability structures across all four bond elections.
| Dimension | Dallas ISD | Fort Worth | Grand Prairie | Arlington ISD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citizen OversightDoes the jurisdiction have a formal citizen oversight committee for bond spending? | CBSC (no public minutes) ↗ | Independent citizen committee planned | To be established | CNSC community process ↗ |
| Public ReportingHow frequently and transparently does the jurisdiction report on bond project progress? | Dashboard exists but disclaims accuracy ↗ | Quarterly reporting committed ↗ | No prior bond reporting baseline | Regular board updates ↗ |
| Community EngagementHow did the jurisdiction engage the community in designing the bond program? | Standard public hearings | 177 BalancingAct submissions + 9 district meetings ↗ | 5 public info sessions scheduled ↗ | Facility tours + public input sessions |
| Prior Bond Track RecordHow well did the jurisdiction deliver on its most recent bond program? | Mixed — schools delivered, governance gaps | 2018 bond delivered on schedule | First bond in 25 years — no recent track record | Phase 5 deferrals from 2019 bond |
| Financial TransparencyHow accessible is budget and spending data to the public? | Bond website with caveats ↗ | Open budget portal ↗ | AAA-rated fiscal management ↗ | FCI data published ↗ |
Original Finding
The $701 Million Disappearing Act
Statewide school district property value lost to PFC exemptions
$321.2MDallas County annual loss growth
$379.9MTarrant County annual loss growth
$701.1MCombined DFW annual loss
A Public Facility Corporation (PFC) is a nonprofit entity that a city or housing authority can create to acquire and hold property. Under Texas law, PFC-owned properties are exempt from property taxes — including the school district taxes that fund public education. When a private developer partners with a PFC to build market-rate or luxury apartments, those units can receive a full property tax exemption for up to 75 years. The result: thousands of high-value units pay zero in school district taxes, eroding the assessed value base that every General Obligation bond depends on for debt service. Voters across DFW are being asked to authorize $7.9 billion in new bonded debt against a tax base that is simultaneously being hollowed out — with no legal requirement that school districts even be notified when a new PFC exemption is granted.
Learn more about PFCs →Passage Assessment
Will These Bonds Pass?
Based on historical Texas bond passage rates, community engagement levels, and jurisdiction-specific risk factors.
Dallas ISD
60-70%
School bonds in Texas pass at 70-75% on average
- Largest school bond in TX history creates voter fatigue risk
- Strong PSF guaranty and low per-household cost
- 2020 bond accountability gaps may depress turnout
Fort Worth
70-80%
Fort Worth's 2018 bond passed with strong margins
- $0 tax rate increase is strongest selling point
- Streets and public safety bonds have highest passage rates
- 177 BalancingAct submissions show community engagement
Grand Prairie
55-65%
First bond since 2001 — no recent baseline
- 25-year bond gap creates institutional trust deficit
- AAA credit rating is strong fiscal credibility signal
- Laredo parallel: long gaps breed distrust
Arlington ISD
65-75%
Arlington city bonds passed at 73.9% in 2025
- Low per-household cost ($1.50/month)
- CNSC community process builds buy-in
- Phase 5 deferral concerns from 2019 bond
Key Dates
Between Now and the Ballot
March 26, 2026
GP Tony Shotwell Life Center Session
2750 Graham St, Grand Prairie. Bond information session, 6:30–8:00 PM.
April 2, 2026
Voter Registration Deadline
Must be registered to vote in the May 2 election. Check your status at votetexas.gov.
April 2, 2026
GP City Hall Info Session
City Hall Council Briefing Room, 300 W. Main St., Grand Prairie. Bond information session, 6:30–8:00 PM.
April 9, 2026
GP Dalworth Recreation Center
2012 Spikes St., Grand Prairie. Bond information session, 6:30 PM.
April 11, 2026
GP Warmack Library Session
760 Bardin Rd., Grand Prairie. Bond information session, 6:30 PM.
April 14, 2026
Dallas ISD Bond Town Hall — South Dallas — Dallas ISD Bond Info ↗
Community information session on the $6.2B bond program. Propositions A–D. Visit dallasisd.org/bond for confirmed session dates and locations.
April 15, 2026
Arlington ISD Bond Information — AISD Financial Transparency ↗
Visit Arlington ISD's financial transparency page for bond program details and credit information.
April 20, 2026 – April 28, 2026
Early Voting Begins
Early voting opens across Dallas, Tarrant, and Ellis Counties. Runs through April 28. All four bond elections on the same ballot.
April 23, 2026
GP The Summit Info Session
2975 S. Belt Line Rd., Grand Prairie. Bond information session.
April 27, 2026
GP Memorial Library Session
901 Conover Dr., Grand Prairie. Final Grand Prairie bond information session.
April 27, 2026
GP Midlothian Info Session
11005 Davis Dr., Midlothian, TX 76065. Bond information session — time TBD.
April 28, 2026
Early Voting Ends
Last day to vote early in all four jurisdictions.
April 30, 2026
Fort Worth Bond — Real Estate Council Session — Event details ↗
"Strengthening Fort Worth's Future: An Inside Look at the 2026 Bond Program" hosted by the Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth. Educational session on all six bond propositions.
May 2, 2026
Election Day
Dallas ISD (4 props), Fort Worth (6 props + 9 charter), Grand Prairie (3 props), and Arlington ISD (3 props) all on the ballot.