Updated June 16 at 10:05 p.m. Klein ISD voters came out against the Tax Ratification Election on Saturday that would have raised the district tax rate by 9 cents to $1.52 per $100 valuation. A total of 4,136, or 45 percent of voters, voted in favor of the measure, and 5,063 or 55 percent of voters, opposed it. A total of 9,119 voters, or 6.1 percent of those registered in the district, participated in the election. All votes are unofficial until canvassed. “I appreciate all who voted in the election,” KISD Superintendent Bret Champion said after polls closed. “We will continue to work to ensure that every student enters with a promise and exits with a purpose.” Judy Rimato, associate superintendent for communications and planning, said the district will now plan to make about $30 million in cuts. "We would like for the community to know that we will be working to determine where the $30 million will be cut, and we will look first for ways that affect students as minimally as possible," Rimato said. "We will continue to be fiscally responsible while providing excellent education opportunities." Posted June 16 at 7:42 p.m. Early and absentee voting shows a very close race in the Klein ISD Tax Ratification Election held June 16. KISD's proposal to raise the maintenance and operations portion of the tax rate by 9 cents received a total of 3,025 votes, or 48 percent, while 3,275 voters, or 52 percent, were against it. All results are unofficial until canvassed. As of June 12, the final day of early voting, the office of Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart reported that 6,114 early votes had been cast—including both in-person and mail votes—and 4,644 ballots-by-mail had been sent to voters. A total of 151,142 voters are registered in the district, according to the county clerk's office. KISD asked voters to approve the 9-cent tax rate increase to raise the maintenance and operations portion of the district’s tax rate from $1.04 to $1.13 per $100 valuation. The proposed increased would bring the overall KISD tax rate to $1.52 per $100 valuation. If the new tax rate is approved by voters, the owner of a house valued at $200,000 would see an increase of $157.56 on his or her annual tax bill next year, KISD Chief Financial Officer Dan Schaefer said. A successful election would mean the district will raise an additional $28.8 million in revenue through state and local sources in the next three years. A portion of that is possible because the first two cents of the tax rate above $1.04 are designated by the state as “super pennies,” Schaefer said, meaning they generate more than twice the usual amount of state aid—$9.2 million in this case. This, along with $8 million in budget cuts, would allow the district to shore up its fund balance through 2021 as well as fund several needed safety and security projects, Schaefer said. If voters reject the increase, the district will need to make $30.2 million in cuts—an amount equivalent to more than 500 staff positions, Champion said.