This story has been updated.<\/p>\n
Voters in Judson Independent School District said \u201cno\u201d to a 4.5-cent property tax increase.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Results show that 60% of voters opposed Judson ISD\u2019s voter-approved tax rate election, also known as a VATRE, which was supposed to fund pay increases, academic programs and student support services.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The increase would\u2019ve unlocked an extra $21 million annually under the maintenance and operations rate. If approved, the district\u2019s tax rate would\u2019ve gone from $1.03 to slightly under $1.08 per $100 of taxable property value.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Judson officials said the property tax increase would\u2019ve also helped with the district\u2019s $27 million deficit. Now, the district may have to consider consolidating schools, cutting programs and staff.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was very disheartening,\u201d said Lilyana Contreras, a 17-year-old senior at Judson Early College Academy, in a phone interview on Tuesday night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Though she couldn\u2019t vote yet, Contreras advocated for the VATRE on social media and attended school board meetings to learn more about the proposition. Now, she\u2019s concerned for current and future Judson students.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need our communities to be supported,\u201d she said. \u201cStudents deserve an education that supports more than just academic needs\u2026 we can\u2019t have that without things like student programs.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a Nov. 5 statement, Superintendent Robert Milton Fields said he was disappointed but respects the voters\u2019 decision not to pass the VATRE.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a result, we will need to make decisions in the months ahead to control costs while maintaining essential programs and supports for our students and staff,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Most school districts across the state are dealing with budget deficits, and the base amount of state dollars per pupil hasn\u2019t significantly increased since 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n