The Spring ISD Board of Trustees on Tuesday voted unanimously to include a Voter Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) on the upcoming Nov. 5 ballot.
Trustees approved proposing a tax rate of $1.1569 per $100 of property valuation for the 2024 fiscal year, a 5-cent increase from the current rate. If the VATRE passes, that proposed total tax rate would cost a homeowner about $7.00 more per month on a $275,977 house. Homeowners who are receiving a homestead exemption for disability or are age 65 or older would not see an increase above their tax ceiling as a result of the VATRE.
The proposed tax rate, if approved by voters, would provide critical funding for teacher and staff salaries, including a 2% across the board raise for all staff. Starting teacher pay would increase from $60,500 to $61,500 per year, and targeted adjustments would be made for teachers with 5-15 years of experience, putting it in line with other local school districts. Additionally, the district’s remaining budget deficit would be reduced from $12 million to less than $1 million.
Learn more about the VATRE here
Spring ISD Superintendent Dr. Lupita Hinojosa emphasized the importance of the VATRE for the district’s future, which, if approved, would generate about $20 million in additional revenue for Spring ISD on an annual basis.
“This increase is not just about maintaining our current level of services — it’s about stabilizing our budget in a time of economic uncertainty and ensuring we can provide much-needed raises for our teachers,” Superintendent Dr. Lupita Hinojosa said. “Our educators are the backbone of our district, and we must continue attracting and retaining the best talent for our students.”
With no increase in the state’s per-student allotment since 2019, lower enrollment, lower average daily attendance, and an inflation rate that has hit 17%, many school districts, including Spring ISD, have had to look to tax increases to generate needed funding.
“I think that what we’re asking of our taxpayers is something that we shouldn’t have to ask, but we do need to make decisions in this district based on what’s best for all our students,” Trustee Winford Adams Jr said. “So we sometimes have to make tough decisions, [and] this is one of them, but I think we’re up for it.”