Lake Travis ISD Superintendent Brad Lancaster delivered his annual State of the District address at a Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce luncheon Sept. 21. During his presentation, Lancaster discussed the projected growth of the district, its financial struggles due to the state recapture program, and the possibility of both a bond and a tax ratification election in November 2017, which would cover growing expenses without raising the tax rate.

He said LTISD has seen its student enrollment increase by 4,215 students, roughly 76 percent, over the past 10 years. The district is projected to continue growing at a similar rate, and he said another 5,676 students could enter the district by 2025.

“We need a bond election to keep up with out tremendous growth over the next 10 years,” Lancaster said.

A 2017 bond could call for $220 million in projects, including the creation of LTISD’s third middle school and its seventh, and possibly eighth, elementary schools, he said. It would also cover certain upgrades, renovations and repairs to existing grounds, and fund new school buses and technology, he said.

A tax ratification election, or TRE, would ask voters to approve a maintenance and operations tax rate increase, which would then be paired with an equivalent decrease in the debt service rate, called a penny exchange, Lancaster said. The election would result in maintaining the current total tax rate of $1.4075, he said.

“Whether we have a bond election or not, and whether we call for a TRE or not, our tax rate will remain the same,” Lancaster said. “The tax rates paid by local homeowners would not increase as a result of the penny exchange, and the district would also generate $2 million more in state aid, which would go to limiting budget cuts.”

LTISD is one of many districts looking to the 85th Texas legislative session in January to help with a 50 percent optional homestead exemption credit and transportation allotments, he said. If the legislature eliminates additional state aid for tax reductions, it could mean $4.4 million in lost revenue for the district, he said.