What we know
The NISD board of trustees approved to include the VATRE on the Nov. 4 ballot for voters in the district during a regular board meeting Aug. 12. Should voters approve the tax rate change, the new funds would go toward the maintenance and operations fund of the 2025-26 school year, which goes toward teacher salaries, supplies, programs and class sizes according to district documents.
The board adopted a property tax rate of $1.0841 per $100 valuation for fiscal year 2025-26. The new rate is about 0.35% lower than the original approved tax rate of $1.0879 per $100 valuation, which was presented at a June 23 meeting.
Voters will be asked to ratify the adopted rate for the addition of three “golden pennies,” according to district documents. The additional pennies would generate about $12 million in funding for day-to-day operations of the district due to growth in property value, Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Pastusek said.
A homeowner with a home assessed at $500,000 would see a decrease of $448 dollars on their annual tax bill if the VATRE is approved and would see a decrease of $556 if it is not approved, according to the district. Part of this decrease comes from a $40,000 homestead exemption approved by the 89th Texas Legislature, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
Pastusek said the funds would not be subject to recapture if the VATRE is approved.
“These are local tax dollars that stay in our schools. They don’t go back to the state to be used in some coffin that we have no idea what that’s for,” he said.
Eight million of the estimated revenue would go toward student programs and includes lowering class sizes, Pastusek said. The rest would be used to increase compensation in an effort to retain and recruit teachers and staff, according to the district.
How we got here
The NISD board approved a $122,000 surplus for the 2025-26 school year during a regular meeting June 23, according to previous reporting. The district’s current budget was reworked to eliminate a nearly $16 million shortfall.
Additionally, the district eliminated more than 100 teaching positions and low enrollment programs, according to previous reporting.
NISD also called for a tax rate election for the 2024-25 school year after having to adopt a $15.8 million budget shortfall, according to previous reporting. The VATRE failed to pass after approximately 55% of district residents voted no during the November 2024 election.
What’s next
Tarrant, Denton and Wise county voters who live in NISD will have the following opportunities to cast their ballot in the VATRE:
- Early voting is from Oct. 20-31
- Election Day is Nov. 4
