While I am also outraged about what the school board wants, Aldine is by absolutely no means a “small town” being a part of greater Houston. And trust me, this is a SMALL football stadium for Texas Sports.
The official area of Aldine may be small yes, but in Texas as with many major metro areas the School districts and the city lines do not go hand in hand. Here is the city limits of Aldine Texas, long ago absorbed by metro Houston. And Here is the area covered by Aldine ISD.
One should also not underestimate Texas communities’ commitment to their high school interscholastic American football teams.
Imagine all the loyalty and tradition of a local (soccer) football club in Europe, but tied directly into the local government and wrapped up in Texas egos.
$50 million USD is fairly expensive for a suburban school district’s new stadium, but it’s not breaking any records.