Key takeaways
- Education Week, citing a preliminary Amos Group count, reports 373 school district bond issues worth nearly $53 billion on November ballots.
- A bond is permission to borrow, not a check. Districts often issue bonds in stages, so the spending unfolds over years.
- The project list behind each measure shows what a district plans to buy, from security upgrades to HVAC and classroom equipment.
- Reach facilities, IT and security leaders early, with questions about their plan rather than a pitch.
What's on the ballot today
Education Week reported in September that voters would decide on 373 school district bond issues this November, based on a preliminary count from the Amos Group's SchoolBondFinder database. Together they add up to nearly $53 billion. Those figures are estimates, and final numbers will come after results are certified.
Los Angeles County shows the range. NBC Los Angeles lists 11 school bond measures on county ballots. Inglewood Unified's Measure MM would allow $396 million in bonds for school security and building repairs. Pasadena Area Community College District's Measure UP seeks $485 million to repair buildings and equip classrooms and career training facilities. Smaller measures are just as specific: Claremont Unified's $77 million Measure CS lists security upgrades and electrical and plumbing modernization, and Glendora Unified's Measure G names HVAC, electrical systems and lab installations.
Not every measure will pass. Education Week found that the share of successful bonds fell from 82% in 2018 to 75% in 2024. Over the same period, the number of measures proposing safety and security investments roughly doubled.
A bond is permission, not a purchase order
Passing a bond doesn't mean the money gets spent right away. "A bond is authority," Mary Filardo of the 21st Century School Fund told Education Week. "That money doesn't get spent right away."
Districts often sell bonds in stages as projects get ready. Education Week's example is Yakima, Washington, where voters approved a bond that allows $200 million in borrowing, and the district expected to issue only about half of that this fall. For vendors, a winning measure is the start of a buying cycle that can run for years, not a single bid.
The rules also create public checkpoints. In California, school bonds passed under Proposition 39 must give voters a list of the projects to be funded. Within 60 days of approval, the district must appoint an independent citizens' oversight committee of at least seven members, and it must run annual performance and financial audits of bond spending. Those meetings and reports are public, and they're a practical way to see which projects are moving.
Track the results and the money
- Build your list this week. Note which measures pass in your territory, the dollar amount and the project categories named on the ballot. Counts can change until results are certified, so treat election-night numbers as preliminary.
- Read the project list. Ballot language, district bond pages and board presentations usually spell out the categories: security, HVAC, roofing, electrical, technology, furniture and classroom equipment. Match each line to what you sell, and be honest when nothing fits.
- Watch the bond sales. When a district sells bonds, the official statement, which is the prospectus for the bond, is posted on the MSRB's EMMA website, which offers free public access to municipal securities documents. Districts also post ongoing disclosures there.
- Learn how each district buys. Construction work usually goes out to bid, while equipment and technology may be bought through cooperative contracts. Our K-12 purchasing guide explains the common paths, and our list of the largest school districts is a useful place to start ranking targets.
Reach the people who will run the work
The people who shape bond projects usually aren't in purchasing yet. Look for the director of facilities or maintenance and operations, the bond program manager, the chief technology officer and the director of safety and security. Many districts also bring in construction managers or architects to run bond programs, and those firms can influence specifications.
Start with their plan, not your product. A short note works: "Congratulations on the bond passing. I saw security upgrades on the project list. Is access control part of the first phase, or is that further out?" It's easy to answer, and it leaves room for a no. If the timing is wrong, ask when it makes sense to check back, and then do that. There's no need to create urgency. The bond schedule sets the pace.
Bond results are one signal among several. Our guide to government buying signals covers others worth watching alongside them, such as budget adoptions and board agendas.
How KSG helps
Kensington Sales Group tracks signals like bond measures, budgets and project lists through our market intelligence work, and our SDRs turn them into conversations with the district leaders who own the projects. See how we work in the K-12 and higher ed market.
Sources: Education Week, "Voter support dips as schools seek to borrow more money" (September 2026); NBC Los Angeles, school measures on LA County ballots (October 2026); Compton Community College District, Proposition 39 requirements; Investor.gov (SEC), Using EMMA to research municipal securities.