By Edmond Ortiz
Two San Antonio-area school districts will ask their respective taxpayers this November for permission to raise their property tax rates in order to support pay raises, and address budget deficits.
And one of those school districts will also propose its second bond issue in four years.
Northside ISD schedules 2 elections
Northside Independent School District trustees voted Aug. 11 to place a voter-approval tax rate election (VATRE) and a standalone $886.2 million bond package on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Through the VATRE, or tax ratification election, Northside ISD proposes raising its maintenance and operation tax rate from 66.9 cents per $100 valuation to 69.9 cents, an increase that will generate $46 million in state and local revenue. NISD officials said more than half of that amount would come from Texas Education Agency in state aid.
Like with many other San Antonio-area public school districts, Northside ISD – despite its size and student population number – is struggling with a budget deficit, slight declines in enrollment and property values, and a growing impact of charter schools.
A tax ratification election is designed to help provide additional funding for a school district’s daily operations, including employee pay, classroom programs and supplies, utilities, and transportation costs. Some funds from a newly approved tax rate would also be used to reduce the budget shortfall.
NISD officials must wait until the Nov. 3 election to see if voters approve the VATRE proposal, which authorizes them to implement a compensation plan for the 2026-2027 school year.
NISD leaders and community members have also spent several months discussing the possibility of a bond issue, which district officials said is needed to address immediate capital and infrastructural needs.
In this case, NISD voters will consider a three-proposition bond package. One proposition would allocate $764.7 million for renovations and upgrades at existing district facilities, including safety and security improvements.
A second proposition would provide $56 million for technology upgrades. A third proposition would provide $65.5 million for natatoriums, including the replacement of George Block Aquatics Center.
But NISD leaders will have to convince voters that both a property tax increase and the issuance of new debt are necessary just as the district has put on hold several projects funded by its voter-approved 2022 bond.
NISD officials have said the pause on some 2022 bond projects allows them time to explore long-term building optimization measures, which could affect existing facilities.
Northside ISD Board President Sonia Jasso said the decision to set two elections is not something that she or fellow NISD leaders take lightly.
“The NISD board’s decision to call a VATRE and bond election reflects our continued commitment to the students, staff, and families of Northside,” Jasso said in a statement.
“We are grateful to the members of our Citizens Bond Committee for their time, thoughtful work, and honest feedback throughout this process. As we move toward the Nov. 3 election, our community can expect clear and transparent information about both proposals so voters can make an informed decision.”
East Central ISD takes another swing
Northside ISD will be joined by the East Central Independent School District, whose board voted Aug. 11 to propose their own tax ratification election Nov. 3. This would mark a third straight year that ECISD has sought voter approval to raise its property tax rate above the state limit.
East Central, Boerne, Judson, and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City independent school districts held VATRE’s in November 2025, with only Boerne ISD’s measure succeeding with voters. Judson ISD leaders have signaled they would not be pursuing another tax ratification election this year.
SCUCISD trustees will meet at 6 p.m. Aug. 17 to mull calling a VATRE for Nov. 3. Aug. 17 is the final day that a Texas local government can schedule a Nov. 3 election.
If approved, East Central ISD’s property tax rate would go up less than 1 cent, an action that would generate an estimated $8.47 million in new funding from local taxes and state money.
Such new money would help ECISD to cover staff pay raises and daily operations, and sidestep a projected budget shortfall of more than $8 million.
This is the first school year for two new ECISD campuses, Victory Elementary School and Valor Middle School, both of which were funded by the district’s voter-approved 2022 bond.
