LIVE OAK, Texas – The Judson Independent School District’s Board of Trustees voted to call for a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) to be placed on the November ballot.
The special meeting, held on Monday, considered the VATRE in response to a projected $37 million budget deficit, according to a press release.
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If the VATRE is approved, residents would pay a higher tax rate.
The deficit is driven by a lack of unrestricted state funding and inflationary costs such as energy, fuel, insurance and other operating expenses that have increased in the past five years.
At the meeting, the board approved a maintenance and operations rate of $0.3127 and an interest and sinking rate of $0.7669.
This comes to a total tax rate of $1.0796, which is an increase of $0.045 from last year, the district said.
The district estimates that approval of the VATRE would do the following:
- Generate $21 million in additional revenue
- Stabilize the existing budget
- Preserve essential programs and services for students
- Recruit and retain qualified educators
“This is a great school district, and it is going to get better, but we can’t do it unless there’s more money to work with,” said Judson ISD educator Scott Willis. “[We] are the center of the community. [The VATRE] is paying for more than just the education of kids. Let the voters decide.”
Judson ISD plans to host a series of community forums, as well as publish an efficiency audit on its website, to provide transparency and engage with stakeholders before the election.
Early voting will begin on Oct. 20, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4.