Several San Antonio-area school districts are asking voters to approve what\u2019s called a VATRE next month, which stands for Voter Approval Tax Rate Election.<\/p>\n
Districts say a few extra cents on the tax rate can mean big changes for teachers and students.<\/p>\n
Around San Antonio, four school districts \u2014 Boerne, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City, East Central, and Judson ISDs \u2014 are asking voters to sign off on tax rate increases.<\/p>\n
What is a VATRE?<\/p>\n
A Voter Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) gives taxpayers the final say when a district wants to raise its maintenance and operations (M&O) tax rate above the state-defined limit.<\/p>\n
districts calculate a voter-approval rate, which is the highest rate they can set without a public vote.<\/p>\n
If they need to go higher \u2014 often to fund salaries or daily operations \u2014 they must hold a VATRE.<\/p>\n
School leaders say the VATRE process is becoming more common as state funding lags behind rising costs, and much of the money from Austin is earmarked for specific purposes, such as safety or technology, leaving little flexibility for payroll.<\/p>\n
Last November, more than 50 Texas school districts held VATREs, and about 85 percent passed, according to data from the Texas Association of School Business Officials.<\/p>\n
Some districts are also asking voters to approve what\u2019s known as \u201cgolden pennies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Each golden penny is basically one cent of the school tax rate that districts can add to help pay for things like teacher raises, classroom programs, and operations \u2014 and the key is, they get to keep all of that money locally.<\/p>\n
Unlike other tax dollars, golden pennies aren\u2019t subject to state recapture, so the money doesn\u2019t get sent back to Austin.<\/p>\n
Local districts and VATRE details<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been saying bonds are for buildings and VATREs are about people, because that\u2019s true for Boerne ISD,\u201d said Maggie Dominguez, communications director for Boerne ISD.<\/p>\n
Nearly one in five Boerne teachers left last year. <\/p>\n
The district says a two-cent increase<\/a> would bring in about $4.8 million in annual funding, most of which would go toward teacher raises. <\/p>\n A 2-cent VATRE increase means $0.02 more in tax for every $100 of taxable property value. On a $300,000 home, that 2-cent increase equals about $60 more per year in school property taxes.<\/p>\n For every $1.00, an additional 60 cents would come in from the state.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve seen teachers leaving for higher-paying jobs, sometimes in other districts, sometimes outside education altogether,\u201d Dominguez said.<\/p>\n Boerne ISD is seeking golden pennies, explained above.<\/p>\n The Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City district is facing a similar challenge with staffing. A six-cent increase<\/a> would help pay staff, boost security, and expand student programs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re already in the bottom third of teacher salaries,\u201d said Superintendent Paige Meloni. \u201cWithout new funding, we could see longer vacancies in special education and transportation.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the district website, the starting salary for SCUC ranks near the bottom of area districts. This measure funds raises for 2,026 employees through 2028-29.<\/p>\n The money generated from the tax increase would be broken down as follows:<\/p>\n $6.3M for student programs, including Career & Technical Education, athletics, and fine arts$6M for safety and security$3M for teacher and staff raises$900K for technology device replacement<\/p>\n