The current situation
The board of trustees adopted the district’s budget for the upcoming school year during the June 23 meeting for $162 million. Most of the general operating budget funds will go toward instruction, including $2.4 million for a state-mandated teacher salary raises, and maintenance and operations.
Board President Cameron Bryan attributed the district’s budget deficit mostly to declining enrollment, insufficient state funding and the recapture system, which sends local property tax revenue back to the state to be redistributed to other districts.
Measuring the impact
Bryan said a Voter Approved Tax Rate Election, or a VATRE, Nov. 4 could help balance the budget deficit.
The district would ask voters to increase the portion of the tax rate that creates extra revenue for school districts to enhance educational programs beyond state funding. It would go from 5 pennies to 8 cents per $100 of a property’s appraised value. If voters approve the VATRE, Bryan said this would be the fifth year where the overall tax rate will decrease.
“Our appraisals in our district keep going up because we have such awesome schools,” he said. “That’s why our property values keep going up every single year.”
Also of note
The board of trustees approved Nov. 4 as the date for the special election to fill the Place 3 seat vacated when Place 3 Trustee Dudley Jordan resigned because he moved out of the district, according to meeting minutes from a special board workshop meeting in March.
The Texas Education Code states a board must appoint a new member no more than 180 days after a board member resigns or call for an election on the next election date.
