Friendswood ISD’s $165 Million Bond Package: What Voters Need to Know About the True Costs
Friendswood, TX – As the November 4, 2025, general election approaches, residents of the Friendswood Independent School District (FISD) face a significant decision on four bond propositions totaling $165 million in principal debt. Located primarily in the city of Friendswood—a suburban community in Galveston County, Texas, with a small portion extending into neighboring Brazoria County—FISD serves approximately 6,210 students across pre-K through 12th grade in one of the state’s top-rated districts.
Under the leadership of Superintendent Thad Roher, who has risen through the ranks from assistant principal to deputy superintendent before assuming his current role, the district emphasizes academic excellence, with 76% of students proficient in reading and 71% in math based on recent state assessments.
This bond package, unanimously called by the FISD Board of Trustees on August 11, 2025, marks the district’s next major debt issuance since the $127 million bond approved in 2020.
While the district’s bond promotion materials outline the intended uses for these funds, they often omit the full financial picture, including interest costs that could nearly double the total repayment burden. Drawing on analysis from the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) and district Voter Information Documents (VIDs), this report breaks down each proposition, highlights the complete costs, and provides context on potential tax impacts to empower voters.
The Propositions at a Glance
FISD’s proposals stem from recommendations by the district’s Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC), which met six times earlier this year to assess facility needs amid steady enrollment growth and aging infrastructure.
The committee prioritized projects like campus replacements and technology upgrades to accommodate projected increases, such as a 27-student rise in agriculture exploration programs at Friendswood Junior High for the 2025-26 school year.
Here’s a detailed look:
- Proposition A: $154,750,000 for Facility Construction and Renovations
This flagship measure funds a new Westwood Elementary and Bales Intermediate replacement campus, renovations at Windsong Elementary, accessible playgrounds, athletic facility upgrades (including locker rooms), an agricultural science center, and new school buses. These improvements address overcrowding and modernization needs in a district known for its strong community involvement and nationally recognized programs like the Academic Decathlon.
Full Cost (per VID): Principal $154,750,000; Estimated Interest $169,533,571; Total Repayment $324,283,571. - Proposition B: $2,000,000 for Classroom Technology
Aimed at equipping students with modern tools, this covers new computers and tablets to enhance digital learning in FISD’s high-performing classrooms.
Full Cost (per VID): Principal $2,000,000; Estimated Interest $496,445; Total Repayment $2,496,445. - Proposition C: $4,250,000 for Recreational Facilities
This targets upgrades to baseball and softball fields, promoting extracurricular opportunities in a district that values well-rounded student development.
Full Cost (per VID): Principal $4,250,000; Estimated Interest $1,054,946; Total Repayment $5,304,946. - Proposition D: $4,000,000 for Refinancing Maintenance Tax Notes
This proposition refinances existing short-term debt, potentially lowering immediate payments but extending the repayment timeline.
Full Cost (per VID): Principal $4,000,000; Estimated Interest $3,572,267; Total Repayment $7,572,268.
These breakdowns, sourced from the district’s VIDs and echoed in TPPF’s review by analysts James Quintero and Daniel Villalva (published September 24, 2025), reveal that promotional summaries fall short by excluding interest estimates—critical details buried in fine print.
In total, the $165 million principal could balloon to $339,657,230 when repaid in full, effectively more than doubling the cost due to interest.
Tax Impact: What It Means for Friendswood Homeowners
Approval of the full package would increase FISD’s interest and sinking (I&S) tax rate by $0.13 per $100 of assessed property value starting in fiscal year 2026-27, according to district documents and CAC projections.
For a home with a taxable value of $450,000—close to the median in Friendswood—this equates to an additional $48.75 per month, or about $585 annually.
Earlier CAC estimates suggested a broader range of $110 to $140 annually per $100,000 valuation, reflecting variability based on final appraisals were revised upward.
This hike comes despite a projected decrease in the overall tax rate to $1.03 per $100 valuation for FY 2025-26 (from $1.04 the prior year), driven by an enrollment bump of 98 students that boosts state funding by over $2.65 million.
The M&O rate, funding daily operations, remains steady at $0.7869, while the I&S portion drops slightly to $0.2431 pre-bond.
If passed, however, the bond debt would reverse that I&S relief, underscoring the trade-off between infrastructure gains and household budgets.
Why Transparency Matters for FISD Voters
Friendswood’s tight-knit community—home to exceptional parent-teacher associations and booster clubs—has long supported FISD’s pursuit of excellence, earning it accolades like the 5th most efficient Texas school district from the Texas Business Coalition.
Yet, as Superintendent Roher noted during July board discussions, finalizing these propositions required balancing urgent needs against fiscal prudence.
Voters deserve unvarnished facts: not just what the bonds will build, but the long-term price tag.
Texas law’s VID requirement is a vital safeguard, offering stakeholders a clear view of debt, taxes, and impacts—tools that helped inform this analysis. As Quintero and Villalva emphasize, armed with this knowledge, Friendswood residents can vote confidently, ensuring investments align with community priorities.
For more on the propositions, visit FISD’s bond page at myfisd.com. Early voting begins October 20, 2025, with polls open through November 4.
How Fate registered a developer’s project domain after seeing it in official plans, then fought to keep that fact hidden
FATE, TX – Cities are expected to regulate development, not steal its name.
Records obtained by Pipkins Reports show the City of Fate registered the domain name of a private development, lafayettecrossing.com, while actively working with the developer who had already claimed that name in official plans. The move, made quietly during a heated approval process, raises serious questions about whether Fate’s city government crossed from partner to predator, taking digital ownership of a project it was supposed to oversee with neutrality and good faith… and depriving the developer of their rights to domain ownership.
What followed, attempts to conceal the purchase, shifting explanations from city officials, and a documented pattern of advocacy on behalf of the developer, suggests the domain registration was not an accident, but part of a broader effort to control the narrative around one of the most divisive projects in the city’s history.
A site plan submitted by the developer, D-F Funds GP, LLC, led by Robert Yu, shows the project title “Lafayette Crossing” clearly identified in the title block on December 20, 2023. The document was part of the city’s official development review for the controversial project at the corner of I-30 and Highway 551.
Less than two months later, on February 7, 2024, the City of Fate registered the domain lafayettecrossing.com, Invoice #116953461, for $12.
Domain records confirm the registration date, with the domain set to expire on February 7, 2027. By that point, Lafayette Crossing was already the established name of the project, used by the developer and embedded in official plans circulating within City Hall.
This was not a coincidence. The city had the plans from the developer. Their were extensive talks regarding the project. Then the city registered the domain without the knowledge of the developer. This is known in the industry as, “Cybersquatting.”
The development, originally referred to as the “Yu Tract,” became known as Lafayette Crossing as it moved through the approval process. The project ignited intense public opposition over density, traffic congestion, infrastructure strain, and the long-term direction of Fate’s growth. Despite sustained resistance and packed council chambers, the city council approved the project.
The political fallout was severe. In the elections that followed, four council members and the mayor were replaced, an extraordinary level of turnover that reflected deep voter dissatisfaction. Two members from that Council, Councilman Mark Harper and Councilman Scott Kelley, remain, but are up for reelection this May.
That context matters, because the domain registration did not occur in isolation. It occurred amid a broader, documented pattern of city officials actively working to shape public perception in favor of the developer.
In February 2024, Pipkins Reports, then operating as the Fate Tribune, published an exposé based on internal city emails showing City Manager Michael Kovacs discussing strategies to “educate” the public about Lafayette Crossing. In those emails, Kovacs suggested deploying what he referred to as “Fire Support,” a term used to describe both paid and unpaid advocates brought forward to counter citizen opposition and astroturf public support for the project.
That reporting revealed a city government not merely responding to public concerns, but actively attempting to manage and counter them.
In a later publication, Pipkins Reports (Fate Tribune) documented the City of Fate’s hiring of Ryan Breckenridge of BRK Partners, engaging in what records showed to be a coordinated public relations effort aimed at improving the project’s image and swaying public sentiment. The campaign was presented as informational, but residents viewed it as advocacy on behalf of the developer, funded with public resources.
It was within this environment, where city staff had already aligned themselves publicly and privately with the developer’s interests, that the city registered the lafayettecrossing.com domain. Yet that fact remained hidden until PipkinsReports.com submitted an Open Records Request on September 30, 2025, seeking a list of all domains owned by the city.
Rather than comply, the City of Fate objected. On October 14, 2025, officials asked the Texas Attorney General’s Office for permission to withhold the records, citing “cybersecurity” concerns.
On January 6, 2026, the Attorney General rejected that claim and ordered the information released. The city complied on January 20, 2026.
In addition to the lafayettecrossing.com domain, the records revealed the city owns numerous domains tied to redevelopment and branding initiatives, including:
- FateTX.gov
- DowntownFate.com
- FateFoodHaul.com
- FateMainStreet.com
- FateStationHub.com
- FateStationMarket.com
- FateStationPark.com
- FateStationSpur.com
- OldTownFate.com
- TheHubAtFateStation.com
- TheSpurAtFateStation.com
- ForwardFate.com
Most clearly relate to city-led initiatives. LafayetteCrossing.com stands apart because it mirrors the established name of a private development already proposed, named, and publicly debated.
When questioned via email, Assistant City Manager Steven Downs initially suggested the domain purchase occurred long before his involvement and downplayed any potential issues. When we revealed documents to show Downs was actively engaged with the project at the same time the Lafayette Crossing name entered the city’s official workflow, his story changed.
In follow-up correspondence, Downs acknowledged he was aware of the project name, while placing responsibility for the domain purchase on former Assistant City Manager Justin Weiss. Downs stated he did not know whether the developer was aware of the purchase and said he was not concerned about potential liability.
What remains unexplained is why the city registered the domain at all, knowing it belonged to a private project, and why it attempted to keep that information from the public.
Opinion
Viewed in isolation, a $12 domain purchase might seem trivial. Viewed in context, it is not.
When a city that has already worked to astroturf support, hire public relations firms, and counter citizen opposition also quietly registers a developer’s project domain, then attempts to conceal that information from the public, the line between regulator and advocate disappears.
The question is no longer whether the city knew the name. The record shows it did.
The question is why a city government so deeply invested in selling a controversial project to its residents felt the need to take ownership of the project’s digital identity as well.
Control of messaging, control of perception, and control of narrative are powerful tools. Sometimes it is equally as important to control what is not said.
Texas Senate Primaries Show Early Leads for Crockett and Paxton
AUSTIN, Texas – A new poll released by The Texas Tribune indicates that Jasmine Crockett and Ken Paxton are leading their respective primary races for the U.S. Senate seat in Texas. The survey, published on February 9, 2026, highlights the early momentum for both candidates as they vie for their party nominations in a closely watched election cycle. The results point to strong voter recognition and support for Crockett in the Democratic primary and Paxton in the Republican primary.
The poll, conducted among likely primary voters across the state, shows Crockett holding a significant lead over her Democratic challenger James Talarico, while Paxton maintains a commanding position among Republican contenders John Cornyn & Wesley Hunt.
According to the poll, Ken Paxton leads with 38 percent of likely GOP primary voters, pulling ahead of incumbent John Cornyn, who trails at 31 percent, while Wesley Hunt remains a distant third at 17 percent. The survey indicates Paxton would hold a commanding advantage in a runoff scenario and currently outperforms Cornyn across nearly every key Republican demographic group, with Latino voters the lone exception, where Cornyn maintains a seven-point edge.
Among Democrats, the poll shows Jasmine Crockett opening a notable lead, capturing 47 percent of likely primary voters compared to 39 percent for James Talarico—a meaningful shift from earlier polling that had Talarico in the lead. While still early, the numbers suggest momentum is consolidating ahead of primaries that will determine the general election matchups.
Jasmine Crockett, a sitting U.S. Representative whose district lines were redrawn out from under her, has responded to political extinction with a desperate lurch toward the U.S. Senate. Her campaign, widely criticized as race-baiting and grievance-driven, has leaned heavily on inflaming urban Democratic turnout while cloaking thin policy substance in fashionable slogans about healthcare and “equity.”
By contrast, Ken Paxton enters the race with a long, battle-tested record as Texas Attorney General, earning fierce loyalty from conservatives for his aggressive defense of state sovereignty, constitutional limits, and successful legal challenges to federal overreach. Though relentlessly targeted by opponents, Paxton’s tenure reflects durability, clarity of purpose, and an unapologetic alignment with the voters he represents—qualities that define his standing in the contest.
The Texas U.S. Senate race draws national attention, as the state remains a critical battleground in determining the balance of power in Congress. With incumbent dynamics and shifting voter demographics at play, the primary outcomes will set the stage for a potentially contentious general election. The Texas Tribune poll serves as an initial benchmark, though voter sentiment could evolve as campaigns intensify and debates unfold in the coming weeks.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem joined national security leaders in a dual-state event to commemorate a historic decline in border crossings, according to an official release from the Department of Homeland Security. The event spanned two locations, Arizona and North Dakota, in a single day, highlighting coordinated efforts to strengthen border security. Noem, alongside other officials, marked the achievement as a significant milestone in national security policy.
The Department of Homeland Security reported a measurable drop in unauthorized border crossings, attributing the success to enhanced enforcement measures and inter-agency collaboration. Specific data on the decline was not detailed in the initial announcement, though officials emphasized the impact of recent policy implementations. The two-state commemoration underscored the geographic breadth of the issue, addressing both southern and northern border concerns.
In Arizona, Noem and security leaders reviewed operations along the southern border, a longstanding focal point for immigration enforcement. Later in the day, the group traveled to North Dakota to assess northern border security, an area often overlooked in national discussions but critical to comprehensive policy. The dual focus aimed to demonstrate a unified approach to protecting all U.S. borders, per the department’s statement.
The official release from Homeland Security included remarks from Noem, who praised the dedication of personnel involved in the effort. “This decline in crossings is a testament to the hard work of our agents and the effectiveness of our strategies,” she said. Her comments were echoed by other leaders present, though no additional direct quotations were provided in the initial report.
Background on the border security initiatives reveals a multi-year push to address vulnerabilities at both entry points. Southern border challenges, particularly in Arizona, have long dominated policy debates due to high volumes of crossings and complex terrain. Meanwhile, northern border issues in states like North Dakota often involve different dynamics, including trade security and seasonal migration patterns. The Department of Homeland Security has prioritized resources for both regions, though specific funding allocations remain undisclosed in the latest update.
The cause of the reported decline ties directly to recent enforcement actions, though exact mechanisms were not specified in the announcement. Officials pointed to improved technology, increased staffing, and stronger partnerships with local and state authorities as contributing factors. Further details on these efforts are expected in forthcoming reports from the department, which has committed to transparency on border metrics.
Opinion
The recognition of a decline in border crossings signals a potential turning point in how the nation secures its frontiers. Celebrating this achievement in two distinct regions reinforces the importance of a comprehensive strategy that does not neglect less-discussed areas like the northern border.
Events like these also serve as a reminder that security is not a partisan issue but a fundamental duty of government. Prioritizing resources and personnel to protect sovereignty while maintaining lawful entry processes should remain a core focus, ensuring that progress is sustained through consistent policy and accountability.
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