Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Numerous studies have shown that individuals in one racial group are loath to support the provision of public goods or resources they believe will benefit individuals in a different racial group.  Additionally, limited minority representation on school boards, even in school districts that are majority minority, has been well documented in the literature.  However, no research has analyzed the impact racial distance, or the difference in race between students in a school district and voters in the school district, on the outcome of school bond elections. 

Understanding the impact racial distance has on the provision of public school facilities, which are often constructed or renovated using funds approved through school bond elections, is important because many states, like Texas, have growing numbers of minority students, whereas the voting age population is often substantially non-Hispanic white.  According to a former Texas state demographer, this difference is due to the fact that minorities, primarily Hispanics, have a higher birth rate than non-Hispanic whites.

Using data from the Texas Education Agency, Texas Bond Review Board, and United States Census, this paper will analyze the relationship between racial distance and the outcome of school bond elections for all school bond elections held in the State of Texas between 1995 and 2005.  With this information, scholars and practitioners alike can gain more knowledge of the interplay between race and voting preferences and its impact on school district facilities.