In 2007, the community approved an $805 million bond. The primary focus of the 2007 bond was construction of new elementary schools and completion of technology and safety/security areas.

The 2007 bond program included construction and renovation projects at 180 schools. Work has been completed at 135 schools, and the remaining 45 projects are on schedule for completion by 2014 or sooner. Because the bond program is under budget, HISD was able to add one more new school — Lockhart Elementary — to the number of new schools included in the program. So far, HISD has opened 20 of the new schools and the remaining three are on schedule for completion in 2013.

HISD issued the 2007 bond debt in phases in order to avoid impacting the property tax rate. In addition, the 2007 bond program was designed so that some projects would be financed with proceeds from the sale of surplus HISD property. Those projects could not begin until the properties were sold. HISD delayed selling some properties until the real estate market improved in order to get the most value.

All of the 2007 bond work is scheduled to be completed before any of the 2012 bond construction would begin. Meanwhile, previous bond building programs have not addressed significant facility needs that remain among HISD's 279 schools as identified by Parsons.