By Edmond Ortiz
Three of four San Antonio-area school districts saw their property tax proposals fail with voters during the Nov. 4 elections.
While the Boerne Independent School District’s tax proposal was narrowly approved, leaders from Judson, East Central and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City independent school districts say difficult choices lay ahead after their tax measures were rejected by voters.
What you should know
According to election data from Kendall, Comal and Bexar counties, 51.3% of voters in Boerne ISD approved raising the district’s total property tax rate from 99 cents per $100 valuation to $1.01.
BISD officials said an approved tax rate would produce $4.8 million in new annual revenue, which would be used to support more competitive employee pay rates, and maintain student programs and classroom instruction resources.
Additionally, the new money would be used to set up a capital replacement program meant to keep district facilities safer and updated more frequently.
The $4.8 million figure reflects revenue from the local property tax hike, and money from the state, which now thanks to voters will be required to chip in 60 cents for every dollar.
BISD officials said the $4.8 million figure was included in the district’s 2025-2026 budget, but not set aside for expenditure until the results of the Nov. 4 election were to be finalized.
Boerne ISD Superintendent Kristin Craft said she and fellow district officials, employees and community members are thankful for voters’ decision. Kendall County alone reported a 24% voter turnout.
“We wholeheartedly thank all of those who made the effort to go to the polls and weigh in on this matter,” Craft said in a statement. “Our community is truly special. As superintendent, this is just the beginning of the steps we must take to help Boerne become more competitive. We have the best staff – and I want to keep them here.”
Leaders at Judson, East Central and SCUC ISDs shared a different outlook after election results came in.
According to the Bexar County Elections Department, 60% of Judson ISD voters rejected the district’s proposal to raise the daily operations segment of its whole property tax rate from 70.19 cents per $100 valuation to 76.69 cents. Judson ISD officials planned to also decrease the debt service portion of the tax rate from 33.27 cents to 31.27 cents.
Prior to the election, JISD leaders said a new total property tax rate of $1.0796 would have generated $21 million in new yearly revenue to help fund teacher and staff pay raises, and maintain student academic and support programs districtwide.
Only four voting precincts within JISD approved the tax proposal. District officials said Judson ISD still faces a $37 million budget deficit, and as such, reductions will be needed, but be carried out in a way to minimize their effects on students and teachers.
“As 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,” JISD Superintendent Milton Fields said in a statement.
“We need all of our stakeholders to come together as we begin a thoughtful and considerate decision-making process that will impact the future of our district.”
Other perspectives
About 55% of voters in East Central ISD rejected the district’s proposal to raise the maintenance and operations (M&O) part of its property tax rate from 66.6 cents per $100 valuation to 71.6 cents. The district’s total tax rate would have gone from 88.2 cents per $100 valuation to 98.1 cents.
East Central ISD officials previously said an approved tax hike would have generated more than $7.6 million to support increased salaries for teachers and staff, fund an armed security officer at each campus, and maintain student programs.
District officials had not yet issued a formal statement on the election outcome as of Nov. 5.
Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD’s property tax proposal went down to defeat with 50.3% of voters saying “no.”
SCUCISD had proposed raising the M&O portion of its overall property tax rate from 66.6 cents per $100 valuation to 78.6 cents. The district would have cut the debt service part of the total tax rate from 47 cents per $100 valuation to 41 cents.
SCUCISD officials said, if voters had approved their proposal, the new tax rate would have generated $16 million in additional annual revenue, with $3 million funding pay raises for teachers and staff through the 2028-2029 school year.
Another $6.3 million would have been used to support student programs, help upgrade classroom technology, replace security cameras districtwide, and fund one school resource officer at every campus.
SCUCISD still faces a $10.7 million deficit, and district officials said they are looking at “significant financial challenges” while preparing for the 2026–2027 budget cycle.
Rising costs, unfunded legislative mandates, and limited state funding continue to burden their ability to maintain programs and operations at current levels, district leaders said after the election.
“While the outcome of the election was not what we had hoped for, our focus remains on serving students and their families, and supporting staff to the greatest extent possible,” SCUCISD Superintendent Paige Meloni said in a statement.
“At the same time, the challenges before us are real. We cannot continue to operate with a deficit budget, and that means every decision ahead will continue to require our thoughtful planning, collaboration and transparency as we navigate the financial realities ahead.”
SCUCISD officials said they will press forward and create a cost drivers committee, where district and campus employees, parents and community stakeholders will review significant areas of district spending and identify potential reductions.
SCUCISD board President Ed Finley said efforts toward cost reductions will be treated with care and transparency.
“These next steps will be difficult, but necessary. We will continue to engage our community in open dialogue and make decisions guided by our purpose–our students–supported by our people and strengthened by our partnerships,” he said in a statement.
Jon Taylor, a political science professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said voters who rejected the tax proposals in their respective school district sought to keep a focus on ensuring their tax dollars go to the basics of school operations and classroom instruction, and not athletic facilities.
“Those voters said, ‘We’re happy to support our schools, but we’re not spending money to add seating or improve your football stadium’,” Taylor said.
