By Edmond Ortiz
Four San Antonio-area school districts are getting ready to ask their voters to head to the polls on Nov. 4 and weigh a property tax rate hike.
Eligible residents in these school districts have until Oct. 6 to register to vote in their respective local special election. Early voting will take place Oct. 20-31.
Here is how residents in those school districts holding special elections can learn more about proposals in their area:
Boerne ISD
The Boerne Independent School District will hold an election where voters could authorize raising the total property tax rate from 99 cents per $100 valuation to $1.01.
According to Boerne ISD officials, an approved tax rate would produce $4.8 million in new annual revenue; the funds would be used to support more competitive employee pay rates, and maintain student programs and classroom instruction resources.
The new money would also be used to set up a capital replacement program designed to keep district facilities safer and updated more frequently.
District officials added that Boerne ISD is one of the lowest-funded school districts in Texas in terms of average daily attendance, and that they have cut more than $1.4 million in administrative costs through attrition and restructuring.
“This election gives voters the opportunity to consider whether the district should access additional state funding for ongoing operational needs,” BISD school board President Kristi Schmidt said in a statement.
Early voting will be available 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 20-24 and 27-29; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 25; and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 30 and 31 at the Kendall County Courthouse Annex, 221 Fawn Valley Drive in Boerne; and the Fair Oaks Ranch Police Department training room, 7286 Dietz Elkhorn Road.
Election Day polling will be held 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Nov. 4 at 11 sites in Boerne, Bergheim, Kendalia, Comfort and Sisterdale.
East Central ISD
Dealing with a projected $4.6 million deficit, the East Central Independent School District will ask local voters to raise the 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 go from 88.2 cents per $100 valuation to 98.1 cents.
East Central ISD officials said an approved tax hike will generate more than $7.6 million to support increased salaries for teachers and staff, fund an armed officer for security at each campus, and maintain student programs.
According to ECISD officials, the owner of the average district home may see a total yearly savings of more than $200 with a homestead exemption even with a higher tax rate.
Early voting will take place 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 20-24; 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 25 and Oct. 27-31; and noon-6 p.m. Oct. 26 at the ECISD administrative office board room, 6634 New Sulphur Springs Road; Schaefer Branch Library, 6322 U.S. Hwy. 87 E.; and St. Hedwig City Hall, 13065 Farm Road 1346.
Election Day voting will be held 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at multiple ECISD area locations.
Judson ISD
The Judson Independent School District will ask its voters to mull raising the daily operations segment of its whole property tax rate from 70.19 cents per $100 valuation to 76.69 cents. Judson ISD officials will also decrease the debt service portion of the tax rate from 33.27 cents to 31.27 cents.
According to JISD leaders, a new total property tax rate of $1.0796 will generate $21 million in new yearly revenue, which will fund teacher and staff pay raises, and maintain student academic and support programs districtwide.
Judson officials said if voters reject the tax rate proposal, the district will face a $37 million deficit during the 2025-2026 school year.
A political action committee, Together for Judson Schools, is campaigning for voter approval of the tax hike.
In-person and virtual community meetings will be held prior to Election Day:
2:30 p.m. Oct. 9 via Facebook Live
6:30 p.m. Oct. 9 at Veterans Memorial High School, 7618 E. Evans Road
5-7 p.m. Oct. 17 at Northeast Lakeview College, Paluxy Hall, 1201 Kitty Hawk Road, Universal City. Here, information will be presented on all four San Antonio-area school districts holding property tax elections.
6:30 p.m. Oct. 22 at Judson Early College Academy, 8230 Palisades Drive, Universal City
6:30 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Judson ISD Performing Arts Center, 9443 Schaefer Road, Converse
5 p.m. Oct. 29 via Facebook Live
Early voting will be offered 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 20-24; 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 25 and Oct. 27-31; and noon-6 p.m. Oct. 26 at Converse Community Event Center, 407 S. Seguin Road; Kirby City Hall, 112 Bauman Road; Northeast Lakeview College Bldg. 800, 1201 Kitty Hawk Road in Universal City; and the Universal City Library, 100 Northview Drive.
Election Day voting will be available 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Nov. 4 at several JISD area locations.
SCUCISD
The Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District is asking its voters to consider a $16.2 million proposal as a means to address a $10.7 million deficit.
If voters were to approve Proposition A, the district would raise the maintenance and operations (M&O) portion of its overall property tax rate from 66.6 cents per $100 valuation to 78.6 cents. The district would cut the debt service part of the total tax rate from 47 cents per $100 valuation to 41 cents.
In the end, SCUCISD’s new total property tax rate of $1.1969 per $100 valuation would cause a monthly increase of $18.54 on the tax bill on the average district homestead.
SCUCISD officials said the new tax rate would generate $16 million in additional annual revenue.
With an approved proposal, $3 million will be allocated to fund pay raises for SCUCISD teachers and staffers through the 2028-2029 school year.
Another $6.3 million will be used to support student programs, including athletics, fine arts, and career and technical education.
The bond includes $900,000 to support the replacement and repairs of Chromebooks, ipads, instructional devices and static laboratories.
The remaining $6 million will be used to fund one school resource officer at every SCUCISD campus, and the replacement of security cameras districtwide.
A political action committee, Students First at SCUCISD, is campaigning for passage of Prop A.
The PAC is using social media to post brief videos of various past and present SCUCISD employees and students and other community members explaining why they believe passage of Prop A will benefit the school district.
Kristin Housley, an SCUCISD graduate and current teacher, said vacant teaching positions, especially those in special education, and vacant transportation positions could hurt the district.
“Without Prop A, these vacancies could go unfilled, which directly impacts students,” Housley said. “We’re also one of the lowest paid districts in the area. Without Proposition A, we risk losing high-quality teachers to neighboring districts.”
Bexar County voters living in SCUCISD may take advantage of early voting by going to the polls 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 20-24; 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 25 or Oct. 27-31; or noon-6 p.m. Oct. 26 at Northeast Lakeview College Bldg. 800, 1201 Kitty Hawk Road in Universal City; and the Universal City Library, 100 Northview Drive. Election Day polls will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Nov. 4 at several locations for Bexar County residents in SCUCISD.
For Guadalupe County voters, early voting will be held 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 20-24; 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 25 and Oct. 27-31; and noon-6 p.m. Oct. 26 at Cibolo Fire Station No. 2, 3864 Cibolo Valley Drive, and the county elections office annex, 1101 Elbel Road in Schertz. Several Election Day polling sites will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Nov. 4.
