Budget deficits prompt some North Texas school districts to propose tax rate referendums
The Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District (HEB ISD) has announced that it will be holding a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) this year, aiming to boost school funding and address a $20.6 million deficit. This marks the first time the district is holding such an election, according to district officials.
Multiple school districts in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex have called for special elections this year, with Carroll ISD, Northwest ISD, and Grapevine-Colleyville ISD also holding VATREs. The HEB ISD special election is scheduled for November 4, with in-person early voting from October 20 to 31.
The VATRE will allow residents to decide if they want to increase their local property tax rate to support the district's maintenance and operations budget. If approved, the new funds are expected to alleviate about half of the budget deficit for HEB ISD.
Superintendent Joe Harrington stated that neither of the last two legislative sessions provided enough funding to get back to the previous levels. He added that the district is hosting public discussions about the VATRE throughout October, with more information available on the HEB ISD website's dedicated page for the special election.
The state overhauled its per-student funding structure in 2019, generally benefiting school districts. However, despite these changes, school budgets have struggled to keep up with factors like inflation and rising insurance costs in the last few years.
The state legislature created two separate pots of money to help school districts retain teachers and support staff. The second pot of money goes toward counselors, nurses, librarians, custodians, secretaries, teachers' assistants, and new teachers. However, the support staff allotment wasn't as much as HEB ISD needed to raise salaries as desired.
The Carroll ISD website cites a funding gap and a roughly $4 million projected deficit as reasons for calling the special election. The Northwest ISD election is the second in two years, with a proposed tax rate increase not passing in 2024. The district is considering staff and program cuts to balance the budget without a funding boost from the election.
Despite the changes, most homeowners may see a slight decrease in their overall property tax bill due to changes in the way property values are calculated. However, the exact impact on individual tax bills will depend on various factors, including the outcome of the VATREs.
Stay tuned for more updates on the VATREs in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and the potential impact on local school districts and homeowners. For the latest information, visit the HEB ISD website at www.hebisd.edu.
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