E-Verify for District Construction Projects

Northwest ISD’s 2023 bond program is a historic $1.995 billion construction package that will build 12 new schools and additional facilities. With spending at this scale, basic workforce verification should be standard. We advocate that NISD require E-Verify for all prime contractors and subcontractors working on bond-funded construction—so local tax dollars are spent on a lawful workforce and circulate as much as possible within our community. This is not radical or “new.” E-Verify is already required for many federal contractors, and numerous states require it for public employers and/or public contractors. It is also common to see E-Verify language in school-district procurement documents, including in Texas districts’ vendor certifications and RFP/RFB packages.

Just as importantly, this is about keeping the economic benefit of bond spending as local as possible. When wages are paid on large construction projects, some portion may be transferred outside the U.S. through remittances—a well-documented global flow of money sent to families abroad. The United States has been the largest remittance-sending country, with tens of billions of dollars in annual outflows. We’re not accusing any specific worker or contractor; we’re stating a simple principle: public dollars should prioritize local hiring and transparency, and E-Verify is one practical tool to support that goal.