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Editor's note: This story was updated on Nov. 5, 2025, at 5:40 p.m. Additionally, a correction was made to reflect that Judson's combined tax rate this year will be 5.5 cents lower than last year (a loss of 3.5 disaster pennies plus a 2-cent reduction in the bond tax rate).
Five school districts in the San Antonio area asked voters for permission to access additional cents on their tax rate in order to boost funding to operate schools this November. Only one of them succeeded.
Boerne Independent School District’s Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election, or VATRE, narrowly passed by just a few hundred votes.
Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD’s VATRE failed by an even narrower margin.
Voters also struck down VATREs in Judson, East Central, and La Vernia, with an especially decisive loss in Judson.
Judson trustees have struggled to come to a consensus on how to reduce the district’s budget deficit the last couple of years, drawing concern from some members of the public. The district’s $37 million deficit is larger than the $21 million Judson officials estimated the VATRE would have brought in.
At least two other districts with tax-rate elections, East Central and Schertz-Cibolo, also have budget deficits. But both districts estimated that their VATRES would more than cover their deficits.
Multiple negative stories about Judson also broke during early voting, including a warning from the Texas Attorney General’s office had received a complaint that Judson had engaged in electioneering.
In a statement on Wednesday, Judson officials said the failure of the VATRE means “reductions will be necessary.”
“While we are disappointed that the VATRE did not pass, we respect the decision of our voters and appreciate everyone who participated in this important process,” Judson Superintendent Milton Fields said in the statement. “We will need to make decisions in the months ahead to control costs while maintaining essential programs and supports for our students and staff. “
“We need all of our stakeholders to come together as we begin a thoughtful and considerate decision-making process that will impact the future of our District,” Fields added.
Judson’s statement also said proposed cuts listed in plans made by district staff at the direction of the board of trustees will now need to be “prioritized and implemented.”
“Regular updates will be shared with staff, families and community stakeholders as decisions are made in the coming months,” district officials said.
In a normal Texas election, VATREs are rather uncommon. But, this November, an unusually high number of school districts across the state went out for VATREs.
Although the Texas Legislature boosted funding for public education this spring, much of the funding was directed in specific ways. The infusion of $8.5 billion in additional state funding also fell far short of what experts and advocates said was needed to keep up with inflation.
That’s left many Texas school districts looking for other ways to increase funding and decrease spending.
A VATRE is the only lever local districts have to increase their operating revenue for things like teacher salaries and student programs. They give districts access to a limited number of additional cents on their Maintenance and Operations (M&O) tax rate.
Schertz-Cibolo asked voters for the maximum amount allowed by the state: 12 additional cents. District officials estimated that would give them access to an additional $16.2 million a year.
Judson asked voters for 10 additional cents — a compromise between the seven cents wanted by some trustees and the 12 cents wanted by others. District officials estimated their VATRE would have given them access to an additional $21 million a year.
East Central asked voters for five additional cents. ECISD spokesperson Brandon Oliver said five cents was enough to meet the district’s needs without overburdening taxpayers. District officials estimated their VATRE would have given them access to an additional $7.6 million a year.
Boerne ISD asked voters for three additional cents. District officials estimated their VATRE would give them access to an additional $4.8 million a year.
Boerne spokesperson Maggie Dominguez said trustees chose to ask for only three more cents because that is the maximum number of golden pennies allowed by the state.
The 12 cents accessed through a VATRE are divided into two tiers called golden pennies and copper pennies. Golden pennies are worth more than copper pennies, and they’re exempt from recapture, often called Robin Hood.
“The golden pennies are attractive to us. The copper pennies are absolutely not because, for our area, the way that this works out is that we would get about 36 cents on the dollar for a copper penny,” Dominguez said. “We get the full dollar from the golden pennies, and then the state is going to kick in about 60 cents additional.”
Property values in Boerne are higher than in many parts of San Antonio. The district isn’t currently paying into recapture, but it did for many years.
In a statement on Wednesday, Boerne officials said they were grateful for the support of their voters.
“We wholeheartedly thank all of those who made the effort to go to the polls and weigh in on this matter. Our community is truly special,” Boerne Superintendent Kristin Craft said. “As superintendent, this is just the beginning of the steps we must take to help Boerne become more competitive. We have the best staff — and I want to keep them here.”
Boerne officials said they will use the VATRE funding to raise the minimum wage for hourly staff to $15 an hour and increase starting teacher pay from $55,142 to $60,000. They will also give retention stipends to special education teachers.
Like Boerne, La Vernia ISD asked voters for three additional cents. District officials estimated their VATRE would have given them access to an additional $1.5 million a year.
La Vernia spokesperson Valerie Frazier said they chose to only go after golden pennies because they’re worth more than copper pennies, and because it “allows the district to bring in additional revenue while lowering the overall tax rate.”
Several of the San Antonio school districts with VATREs on the ballot lowered their Interest & Sinking (I&S) tax rate to help offset the increase to the M&O tax rate.
Boerne decreased its I&S tax rate by one cent for a combined tax rate two cents higher than last year.
La Vernia trustees lowered their I&S tax rate by four cents, which would have given them a combined tax rate one cent lower than last year even with the VATRE. But La Vernia voters still struck down LVISD’s VATRE.
State law requires school districts to include the phrase “this is a tax increase” in their ballot language in all bond and tax-rate elections, even if their combined tax rate will go down or stay flat.
SCUC decreased its I&S tax rate by six cents, which would have made the district’s combined tax rate six cents higher than last year if their VATRE had passed.
Judson decreased its I&S tax rate by two cents. Last year, the Judson school board temporarily raised their M&O tax rate by 3.5 cents using a mechanism called disaster pennies. That means that, without the VATRE, Judson’s combined tax rate will now be 5.5 cents lower this year.
East Central went out for a bond election in May, and will have an I&S tax rate nearly five cents higher than last year. However, district officials said they would have had one of the lowest combined tax rates in Bexar County even with the VATRE.
Now that that their VATREs have failed, the only way Judson, East Central, and Schertz-Cibolo can balance their budgets is to make cuts.
