Northwest ISD has called a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election to generate nearly $16 million for the 2024-25 school year. This election comes on the heels of NISD trustees adopting a deficit budget of $15.8 million for the 2024-25 school year.

Here are five things to know about the VATRE before going to the polls.

1. School districts across the state have called for VATREs

According to district documents, state funding for school districts has not been updated since 2019. Since then, inflation has increased just over 20%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which has caused multimillion-dollar budget shortfalls in school districts across Texas. Though the state legislature approved $4 billion in new funding for public schools in 2023, state officials have not provided those funds to public schools.

"School districts across the state have dealt with financial strains following five years of state inaction on public education funding coupled with 20% inflation,” NISD Superintendent Mark Foust said. “Our school board called a VATRE to raise additional maintenance and operation revenue in an effort to address a $15.8 million budget deficit.”

2. On-going budget deficits could affect students and teachers

According to the district website, school districts across the state have begun increasing class sizes, reducing staff and eliminating programs because of a lack of funding. NISD has been able to delay these actions through prudent financial management. However, if budget shortfalls continue, the district may consider the following options:

• Increasing the number of students per class
• Eliminating some academic and extracurricular student programs
• Eliminating teacher/staff positions that both directly and indirectly support students

Texas currently ranks 29th in the nation in teacher pay, roughly $9,000 behind the national average, according to recent Community Impact reporting. A portion of the VATRE funds would be used to continue to retain and recruit quality teachers by allowing district officials to focus on increasing teacher and staff salaries and benefits with competitive compensation, according to the district website.

3. Figure out how much the VATRE would affect your property taxes

District documents state if the VATRE is approved by voters this fall, the district’s maintenance and operations, or M&O, tax rate would increase by 3 cents. Therefore, a $500,000 home in the district would receive an annual property tax increase of $120—or $10 a month.

The district has a tax calculator on its VATRE website where district residents can figure out exactly how much their taxes will be affected based upon the value of their home.

4. What is the ballot language?

Voters will have the option to vote "for" approving the VATRE or "against" approving it. According to the district website, the ballot language for that vote is as follows:

“Ratifying the ad valorem tax rate of $1.1179 per $100 valuation in Northwest Independent School District for the current year, a rate that will result in an increase of 4.29 percent in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the district for the current year as compared to the preceding year, which is an additional $13,849,486."

The district website states the ballot language does not mention the 3-cent increase in the maintenance and operations tax rate. The $1.1179 references the total tax rate, not the proposed increase, which would be the 3 cents mentioned above.

5. Where can I vote?

There are numerous polling locations in the three counties—Tarrant, Denton and Wise—NISD serves. Click here for location and other election information.