Bridgeport ISD voters rejected the proposed $185 million bond package on Saturday, May 6. This was the first bond election in Bridgeport ISD since 2009. The bond was rejected 57% (720 votes) to 43% (553 votes) with 1,273 voters participating in the election. The final voting results from Wise County are unofficial until the Bridgeport ISD Trustees canvas the election results at a Special School Board meeting on Monday, May 15 at 12 p.m.  

The 2023 Bond Program would have funded safety and security projects at every BISD campus, renovations to Bridgeport Middle School, construction of a new, second elementary school, projects for Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and more.

“We want to thank everyone in our community who participated in the planning process and who took the time to vote in the May election,” said Superintendent Dr. Amy Ellis. “I know there are many people disappointed that these bond projects will not happen for our students. We remain committed to providing our students with a quality education and will begin the process to obtain voter feedback and consider options to address facility maintenance and needs.”

The called bond election was a culmination of years of work that began in 2019. This past fall, a 62-member citizen and staff committee reviewed the work of the previous bond planning committee and conducted tours of current facilities to view first-hand their condition. The committee identified facilities and projects to serve all students across multiple grade levels and programs, and also discussed grade configurations, building capacities, the budget outlook and the inflationary impact on construction materials and labor.

Projects in the proposed bond program were expected to begin soon, but instead school officials will now discuss next steps for collecting voter feedback and studying options for managing growth and maintaining aging facilities.