Spring ISD will not receive an estimated $15.5 million in additional funding after voters rejected Proposition A on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election, or VATRE, failed with 55% of voters opposed and 45% in favor, according to the district's statement published Wednesday, Nov. 4.
The measure would have raised the district's Maintenance & Operations tax rate by 2 cents, from $1.1369 to $1.1569 per $100 of property value. For a homeowner with a $250,000 home and a homestead exemption, the cost would have been less than $5 per month.
What the district loses
The 2-cent increase would have generated about $5.6 million in local M&O revenue and unlocked roughly $9.9 million in state funding, the district said at its August board meeting when trustees unanimously placed the measure on the ballot. That combined $15.5 million was earmarked for day-to-day operations: teacher and staff pay, student programs, transportation and utilities. It would not have funded construction or the district's bond program.
The district had listed addressing its existing budget shortfall among the goals for the revenue.
Superintendent: 'Moving in the right direction'
Spring ISD Superintendent Dr. Kregg Cuellar said in the district's statement that he remains focused on students despite the result.
"While the outcome was not what we had hoped for, I remain optimistic and encouraged by the level of support we received from our community," Cuellar said. "The fact that 45% of voters supported Proposition A tells me that we are moving in the right direction, but we also recognize that earning and maintaining our community's trust is an ongoing responsibility. …"
Without the additional revenue, the district said it will evaluate how to prioritize and allocate existing resources. District leaders plan to focus on listening to community feedback and identifying ways to strengthen relationships with families in the coming weeks, according to the statement.
Regional pattern
Spring ISD was not alone. Voters across the Houston area rejected every school bond proposition and VATRE on the Nov. 3 ballot, according to unofficial Harris County results reported by The Texan. VATREs in Huffman ISD and La Porte ISD also failed.
The Texan described Spring ISD's measure as its "second recent attempt" at a VATRE. The date and outcome of the earlier effort were not detailed.
Spring ISD Board Trustee Winford Adams Jr. acknowledged voter confusion at the August board meeting when trustees approved placing Prop A on the ballot. "We had just done a bond, and people asked why we couldn't use those funds to give raises to employees," Adams said. "Bond funds are specifically for capital projects, while employee raises are part of our regular maintenance and operations."
