SAN ANTONIO – South San Independent School District’s first week of school started hot in classrooms and busy in the district office.
About 300 students were relocated to different classrooms in the first week of school after HVAC units failed, raising concerns about learning conditions across the district, school officials said.
Now, district leaders are looking to voters for a solution.
On Monday, South San ISD board members approved placing a Voter Approval Tax Rate Election, or VATRE, on the November ballot. The proposal would keep the tax rate the same — at $1.19 per $100 of taxable property value — while allowing the district to raise up to $6 million to address facility needs.
Superintendent Dr. Saul Hinojosa says the stakes are high.
“If buildings are hot or there’s water entering into buildings, that obviously does not produce a quality learning environment,” Hinojosa said. “So we want to make sure that we have all the kids’ needs met so that it maximizes our learning.”
Hinojosa says the district will be able to improve the aging facilities in about five years if the VATRE passes, but he already has plans to start in November.
“If we approve this on day one, we’re going to address where the biggest need is, and we already have a company in line in order to start mitigating some of these issues,” Hinojosa said.
What the funding would cover
Beyond fixing facilities, the VATRE would also fund day-to-day school operations, technology for students, and competitive salaries for paraprofessionals and auxiliary employees.
If voters reject the proposal in November, Hinojosa warns the consequences would be significant.
The tax rate would drop by seven cents — a potential win for homeowners — but the district would lose the funding needed to tackle its most pressing issues.