AUSTIN, Texas — Thursday night, Austin Independent School District’s Board of Trustees will hear from the public about calling for a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election, or VATRE. The move would raise property taxes by approximately $400 annually and help lower the district’s massive ongoing budget deficit.
“I’m very confident in the voters of Austin, Texas,” said president of Education Austin Ken Zarifis. “They have repeatedly shown that they care about public education.”
Time is ticking for the AISD. Facing a $78 million budget deficit heading into the new school year, the district has until Monday, August 19 to decide whether to put the VATRE on the November ballot.
“It’s gonna give Austinites the opportunity to further invest in their schools,” Zarifis said.
A VATRE would bring about $171 million in new revenue to AISD, but the district wouldn’t reap all the benefits directly. Of that $171 million, only $41 million, or about a quarter of it, would be kept by the district. The remaining $130 million would be subject to recapture by the state.
“The state of Texas is just hellbent on taking our money, and so they give us no options when it comes to taking care of our kids,” said Zarifis. “It’s a callousness that I’ve never seen before.”
If a VATRE is approved by voters in November, the owner of an average-value home in Austin would see a monthly increase of about $34 in property taxes or roughly $412 per year.
“A dollar a day for our kids in schools? It’s worth it, isn’t it? Of course it is!” Zarifis said.
Even so, people want to know exactly where their money is going, so how does Austin ISD plan to use the additional funds?
With the $41 million the district will get from the VATRE, AlSD plans to spend about $17.8 million on a compensation plan that would help bring staff salaries up to market level. $3.2 million would go directly to campuses for additional support, including instructional coaches, special education support, and mental health support. The rest, or about $20 million, will help offset current costs to replenish AISD’s savings and steady the budget.
“It’s just vitally important that this passes,” said Zarifis.
Following Thursday night’s public hearing, AISD’s board is slated to vote on adding a VATRE to the ballot on Monday.
