The Liberty Hill Independent School District is expected to see a surge in funding thanks to the approval of a property tax rate increase, Proposition A, on Tuesday by voters.
But that's not the case everywhere. Measures brought forth by three Austin-area school districts — Hays, Coupland and Blanco — failed to win voter approval.
Here's a look at what each district proposed and what school officials have said since the measures failed.
Hays CISD
Voters overwhelming rejected Proposition A, a proposed 12 cent property tax rate increase by the Hays Consolidated Independent School District.
Around 61% of voters opposed the measure, which would have injected around $26 million into the district’s depleted general fund balance.
School district officials said they will now have to look at cutting staff and programming to come up with a surplus budget, so they can begin to rebuild the fund balance.
"With inflation-eroded spending power and no significant per-student state funding increase since 2019, we are going to have to make very difficult decisions," Hays CISD Superintendent Eric Wright said in a letter to parents and staff Wednesday. "These will be painful, and they will impact the services we offer. We obviously cannot spend money we do not have. I promise to do whatever is in my power to make these budget cuts as far away from our core mission as possible."
Wright said the district plans to release more information about budget cuts in the spring.
Coupland ISD
Voters in Coupland rejected Proposition A, a proposed property tax rate increase for the city's school district.
Around 56% of voters opposed the measure, which called for a 3 cent increase to Coupland ISD's tax rate.
School district officials said, if passed, the measure would have generated an additional $240,000 in tax revenue. Those additional funds would have been used to help pay for next year's salary and healthcare costs, as well as costs associated with opening the district's new middle school campus.
This was the second year in a row that voters declined to approve a proposed tax rate increase.
Blanco ISD
Voters in Blanco, Hays and and Kendall counties rejected Proposition A, a proposed property tax rate increase for the Blanco Independent School District.
Nearly 53% of voters opposed the proposed 2 cent increase, which would have generated nearly half a million dollars in additional tax revenue for the district.
School district officials said the funds would have been used to maintain student programs, including career and technical education, advanced placement and dual credit classes, along with smaller class sizes.
