More than 11,000 Frisco ISD voters voted against the district's proposed 13-cent tax rate increase, and now the district must look for ways to reduce the budget for the 2017-18 school year and subsequent years. The tax ratification election proposed increasing the district's maintenance and operations tax rate from $1.04 to $1.17, the highest allowed by law. Combined with the district's debt service rate of 42 cents, the tax rate would have brought the total tax rate to $1.59. Since the proposal failed, the tax rate rolls back to the district's previous tax rate of $1.46. District officials said the extra money generated from the tax increase would have helped the district keep up with its fast growth. The district will have to dip into its fund balance to make up for this year's budget increase. Planned cuts are expected to be made in the next school year. "We're running a budget for the 2016-17 school year and that didn't have any cuts in it, so we're fine this school year," FISD Superintendent Jeremy Lyon said. "With that said, we're now going to go back into this year's budget and see what we can stop doing this year that will help with the deficit we will face for next year." Lyon said the district will focus on immediate cost savings that will not involve personnel. Planned cost savings that district will consider include freezing salaries, benefit contribution and hiring. As the district looks at its budget, Lyon said there will be a public process for input and comments from the community. Board of trustees president Anne McCausland said based on the election results, the voters have indicated that the district should operate within the local funds it currently has, and she does not see another TRE in the immediate future. Lyon said he agreed, but added that the idea of another TRE is still out there. "We are the fastest growing school district in Texas, and we will have future bond needs to build schools," Lyon said. "But we are focused very much in unifying our community at this point." In June, FISD board of trustees approved a $471.4 million operating budget for the 2016-17 school year that was based on a 13-cent tax rate increase. The budget included the hiring of more teachers and raises.