Boerne ISD tax rate election narrowly approved by voters
Unofficial results in Bexar, Comal and Kendall Counties show the Boerne ISD voter-approved tax rate election, or VATRE, favored by voters, receiving 51.26% of the votes.
In total, 12,174 ballots were cast across the three counties. Of those votes, 6,241 were in favor of the proposition and 5,933 voted against the proposition.
Chief Financial and Operations Officer Wes Scott, during the Aug. 18 board meeting, said these additional funds will supplement staff salary increases and fund capital improvements.
Read the full Nov. 4 story by Reporter Jarrett Whitener.
Years in the making: Boerne Buc-ee’s continues development
As work on a Buc-ee's location coming to the Boerne area continues to crawl forward, the project draws closer to being a reality around nine years in the making.
While there has been movement at the site, located at the end of U.S. 87 off I-10, the development only has a grading permit, and will require further building permits and design approval before the store can go vertical.
Although the completion date for Buc-ee’s is undecided, the construction is expected to serve as a sales tax generator for the city of Boerne upon completion.
Read the full April 17 story by Reporter Jarrett Whitener.
Election results show Ritchie, Bateman leading Boerne races, all propositions favored by voters
With all Kendall County precincts reporting unoffical results from the May 3 election, current Mayor Frank Ritchie leads the mayoral race and Joe Bateman leads in votes in the City Council, District 2 race. All charter amendment propositions were supported by voters.
Ritchie received 1,022, or 75.65% of votes, while opponent Laura Haning received 329, or 24.35% of votes. Bateman beat incumbent Sharon Wright with 179, or 53.75% of votes.
Each of the propositions were approved by voters with more than 65% of votes in support.
Read the full May 3 story by Reporter Jarrett Whitener.
Pearson, Parker, Olvera lead voting totals in Fair Oaks Ranch elections
With all precincts in Kendall County reporting, Ruben Olvera, Scott Parker and Dale Pearson remain the top vote getters for their respective seats.
In the Place 3 race, Olvera received 623, or 56.28% of votes, while opponent Scott Rose received 484, or 43.72% of votes.
For Place 4, which did not have an incumbent, Pearson led with 621, or 56.97% of votes and James Roff received the remaining 469, or 43.03% of votes. Parker will retain his Place 5 seat after receiving 626, or 57.27% of votes.
Read the full May 3 story by Reporter Jarrett Whitener.
Boerne ISD highlights staff acquisition, retention
Over the last year, Boerne ISD has improved staff retention and reduced the number of open positions from more than 60 in September 2024 to less than 10 as of Sept. 3.
Chief Human Resources Officer Jill Rhodes Pruin discussed staff positions during the Sept. 15 board of trustees meeting, including custodians, bus drivers, food service employees, teaching assistants, teachers and speech and language therapists.
“These are some areas where we know we have had some challenges with staffing in the past,” she said.
Read the full Sept. 22 story by Reporter Jarrett Whitener.
Boerne ISD approves balanced budget, plans for tax rate election
The budget for fiscal year 2025-26 was approved by Boerne ISD trustees June 16.
Approved unanimously, the budget this year does not have an anticipated surplus or shortfall.
However, the district intends to pursue the first-ever voter approval tax rate election in November, which will help support teacher salaries and provide funds for capital improvements outside of bonds and other funding mechanisms.
Read the full June 17 story by Reporter Jarrett Whitener.
Boerne City Council to consider zoning change for single-family home development
At its Feb. 25 meeting, Boerne City Council will decide on a zoning change for The Birch at Spencer Ranch, a 71-acre single-family development off SH 46.
The details
The Birch is part of a 183-acre project, which will include other residential and mixed-use areas. However, the zoning change under consideration applies only to The Birch, according to city documents.
The developer, Forestar Real Estate Group, has requested a zoning change from interim holding, a designation used as a placeholder for annexed property, to R2-M, a residential zoning that allows for moderate density.
Read the full Feb. 13 story by Reporter Jacquelyn Burrer.
Boerne City Council approves water rate increases
Water rates for residential properties in Boerne have increased slightly, following the final approval of the fee schedule for fiscal year 2025-26 during the Sept. 9 Boerne City Council meeting. The new residential rates will go into effect Oct. 1.
What you need to know
Water rates are determined on a per-100-gallon basis, with the rate increasing for each subsequent tier of water usage.
The monthly rate shall be the sum of the monthly customer charge plus the monthly volume charges. The customer charge for a 5/8-inch meter is $32.19 per month, while the charge for a 3/4-inch meter is $67.07 per month.
Read the full Sept. 12 story by Reporter Jarrett Whitener.
Boerne Buc-ee’s zoning ratification postponed amid desire to review information
For two months, a number of Boerne residents have spoken at public meetings about their concerns regarding the planned Buc-ee’s construction off I-10 near US 87, or Main Street.
On Sept. 8, the Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing for the ratification of a zoning designation for 5.155 acres of property neighboring the construction site.
After over two hours of citizen comments and commission discussions, the zoning ratification was unanimously tabled for 60 days, giving additional time to review information before a recommendation is made to City Council.
Read the full Sept. 9 story by Reporter Jarrett Whitener.
Straight to Trades program launches at Boerne ISD, combining trade skills with entrepreneurship
Vocational students in Boerne ISD have a new program to take advantage of, offering 12th-grade students the opportunity to learn entrepreneurial and leadership skills before graduation.
Straight to Trades Ownership is a unique program founded in Boerne ISD designed to weld the relationship between trades and business ownership.
The overview
Started at the end of October, the program takes students through an 11-week business curriculum led by Andrew Flippo, executive director of the Hope Builds Life nonprofit, which promotes local businesses.
Flippo said this is a pilot program for the organization, which has been in development over the last year.
Read the full Nov. 12 story by Reporter Jarrett Whitener.
