By Edmond Ortiz
Four of five San Antonio-area school districts may have to review tough budgetary choices after their property tax proposals fell to defeat in the Nov. 3 elections.
Voters in East Central, Northside, San Antonio and South San independent school districts said “no” to proposed property tax increases, also called Voter-Approved Tax Ratification Elections (VATRE).
Only the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District had its VATRE prevail but with a narrow margin.
Additionally, voters in Comal, Northside and San Antonio independent school districts dismissed separate bond proposals.
East Central ISD’s tax proposal was voted down with 52% of the vote. Approximately 54% of Northside ISD voters spurned their district’s tax tax proposal.
San Antonio ISD’s tax proposal went down to defeat with 51.6% while 56.5% of South San ISD voters dismissed their district’s tax proposal.
Northside and San Antonio ISD’s respective bond proposals, also, were defeated at the polls.
SCUCISD’s second attempt at a VATRE triumphed with 51.4% after voters repudiated their district’s tax proposal last fall.
Leaders in all of these school districts had acknowledged that floating property tax proposals and bonds were a tough sell in a time of inflation and other escalating costs of living. Additionally, residents in many districts have expressed frustration over construction delays, rising costs or other challenges in their district implementing past bond-funded projects.
But, they added, a tax increase was needed to address a range of challenges, from budget deficits and employee pay raises to help support a variety of student programs.
Backers of VATREs in many of these school districts also argued that inadequate public school financing from the state, and the Texas Legislature limiting property tax growth have exacerbated the financial picture for numerous districts statewide.
Comal and Northside ISD will have to find different approaches to address continued residential growth and aging facilities after sustaining bond package defeats on Nov. 3.
Voters turned down CISD’s $567 million bond package with each of the district’s two propositions receiving 59% disapproval.
Each of three bond propositions in Northside ISD was rejected by district voters, with the largest allocation of $764.7 million coming the closest to passing, but still falling short with 51.8% disapproval.
San Antonio ISD officials hoped that approved bond projects would have given them a chance to modernize several facilities, offset technological inequity, and improve Alamo Stadium and the Alamo Convocation Center. But SAISD’s three proposals fell to defeat, with the latter project being disapproved by 61% of voters.
Bexar County had 49% voter turnout. Comal County had 59% voter turnout. None of the local school districts offered comments about the Nov. 3 election outcomes as of press time for this article.
