Cleveland ISD has suspended plans for a bond referendum in the May 2025 election following the unexpected withdrawal of its bond planning services provider, PBK.
In a letter obtained by Bluebonnet News through an open records request, PBK outlined its reasons for discontinuing its services. The letter cited concerns about trust issues within the district and conflicts with school board members as the primary factors influencing the decision.
“The bond planning committee meetings that occurred on December 5, 2024, and December 12, 2024, further revealed numerous factors that threatened the success of the process,” the letter stated. “During these meetings, several committee members and school board members shared concerns and dissatisfaction specific to trust between the board of trustees and district administration, as well as between the board of trustees and the Cleveland ISD community.”
PBK expressed appreciation for the opportunity to work with Cleveland ISD over the past three months.
“The PBK team would like to express sincerest gratitude to you and Cleveland ISD for entrusting our firm with the facilitation of school bond planning services over the last three months. Working with you and your leadership team has been a rewarding opportunity; our engagement and interactions with Cleveland ISD’s stakeholders, especially the students, have been a great reminder of why our work is so important,” the letter stated.
PBK emphasized the importance of presenting a unified bond proposal to the community, explaining that unanimous support from the school board would be crucial for passing the bond referendum.
“As I mentioned during our kickoff meeting, it is our professional responsibility to develop a bond proposal that reflects the needs of the entire Cleveland ISD community. That includes ensuring the school board would unanimously vote on an order calling a bond election. We believe that unanimity signals a clear alignment of district goals for your community and allows a greater likelihood of successfully passing a bond referendum,” the letter highlights.
PBK further stated that Cleveland ISD’s growth and needs are more complex than those faced by any other school district represented by the company. This is remarkable considering that PBK is a worldwide organization with 27 offices, 42 years of experience and numerous accolades.
“The present needs, stemming from growth, in Cleveland ISD are more complex and greater than any district our firm has supported in decades of school bond planning. The Cleveland ISD community genuinely understands these needs. Regrettably, the current timing and conditions are not suitable for bond planning committee representatives to present a bond proposal of any configuration to the school board for approval,” the letter continued.
In closing, PBK announced its withdrawal from the process and recommended the district dissolve its bond planning committee.
“In the best interest of Cleveland ISD, I am officially suspending PBK’s participation in the Cleveland ISD bond planning process for a May 2025 bond election and recommending that Cleveland ISD disband the 2025 Bond Planning Committee,” the letter stated.
To date, PBK has completed the following services for Cleveland ISD:
- Conducted a district-wide multidisciplinary facility condition assessment
- Issued feedback surveys to campus and program administrators, and school board
- Held engagement or interview sessions with campus and program administrators, and school board
- Performed cost estimating for existing deficiencies and major project options
- Organized and facilitated five bond planning committee (BPC) meetings
- Designed conceptual plans for proposed major projects derived from stakeholder feedback and expert recommendations
Prior to the Dec. 12 meeting, PBK held four successful bond meetings with the public and the bond committee. However, the Dec. 12 meeting, which was attended by three Cleveland ISD board members, appears to have been the impetus that led to the withdrawal.
The suspension of the bond planning raises questions about the district’s next steps in addressing its growing infrastructure needs. Cleveland ISD has experienced rapid growth in recent years, which has placed increased pressure on its facilities and resources.
District officials have not yet announced plans for resuming bond discussions or hiring another planning firm.
The school board is scheduled to host a workshop at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, at the Cleveland ISD Administration Building, during which more information could come to light. The public is invited to attend this important meeting.
To put this in layman’s terms and say what they can’t, but should-
There has been an unprecedented amount of wetbacks move into the district in the past few years, and they keep shitting out so many anchor babies that the district is overwhelmed.
Now they need more of your money to pay for it.
Sammy is correct. And now Holman is czar and many will be leaving. Goodbye third world.
Yes sir-
Invade the country illegally, get questionable financing for a sanctuary hideout in Colony Ridge (Cleveland ISD) and have 6 kids on one little lot and a shack that doesn’t even create enough tax to the district to cover one kid, much less 4 – 6.
Send your crotch fruit to school taking away resources from the kids of law abiding citizens, all the while trashing the area and committing a disproportionately high amount of crime.
Then have the district keep asking citizens for another bond to pay for it all, even though they already voted no.
Hell no!
Cleveland school board is out of touch the people they represent