Five San Antonio-area school districts are asking voters to approve a property tax rate increase on the Nov. 4 ballot, stressing the need for additional funding for public education.
School board trustees have two main options when they need to raise more funding. They can call a bond election to pay for specific projects or a voter-approved tax rate election, sometimes shortened to VATRE, which raises the property tax rate beyond what state caps allow.
Since 2019, state lawmakers have required districts to lower their tax rates when property value grows beyond a certain amount. This means that while districts may cut their rates to comply with state laws, they may also subsequently ask voters for permission to raise them to fill budget holes due to inflation or new needs. Many local districts point to stagnant state funding and cost of living increases as a reason for their property tax increase elections…