At least five San Antonio-area school districts will ask voters for more money through school tax elections this November.
These school tax propositions will also line up with the City of San Antonio’s Pre-K 4 SA reauthorization vote and buzzy statewide elections.
“It’s crucial we go out for this when there’s a lot of people voting already,” said Alicia Sebastian, board president of the San Antonio Independent School District, which is putting four tax propositions on the ballot.
Like the rest of San Antonio and the state, nearly all the school districts putting tax measures on the ballot have budget deficits that leaders say are driven by rising costs and the state’s increasing limits on how public schools can collect and use money.
“As a public school entity we don’t have many levers we can pull,” Sebastian said. “Last year we received a measly [additional] $55 per student.”
During the 2025 89th Texas Legislative Session, state lawmakers increased base student funding by $55 after going years without significantly increasing the allotment.
They also increased homestead exemptions, which cut into the local property value that school districts can collect taxes on, and most districts in Bexar County saw a decrease in their local tax revenue.
With the next 90th legislative session set to start in January, school districts are hoping to pull the tax election “lever” before the state passes more restrictions and mandates.
School tax rates have two pieces: the maintenance and operations rate, or M&O, and the interest and sinking rate, or I&S.
Voter approval tax rate elections (VATREs) affect the M&O tax rate, which generates local funds that districts can use however they want. Bonds affect the I&S rate, which pays off debt related to infrastructure projects, like building, renovating and purchasing new technology.
Out of the five districts with tax measures on the ballot, SAISD and Northside ISD will ask voters to approve bond measures and voter-approval tax rate elections.
East Central ISD, South San Antonio ISD and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD are going out for VATREs.
Here is what each school district is asking for:
San Antonio ISD
SAISD is proposing a 3.17-cent tax increase to the M&O rate, estimated to generate $5.5 million in extra funds. This new revenue will assist the district in funding one-time supplements, teacher pipeline initiatives and career and technical education.
Draft ballot language for the VATRE proposition:
“This is a tax increase. Fatiguing the ad valorem tax rate of $0.7869 per $100 valuation in San Antonio Independent School District for the current year, a rate that will result in an increase of 2.92% in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the district for the current year as compared to the preceding year, which is an additional $5.541,056.00.”
The districts will also ask voters to pass a $600 million bond package divided into three propositions. Passing all three would incur a 6-cent increase to the I&S rate, implemented over the next three years.
Proposition A would set aside $492 million for school modernization, capital system replacements, and safety and security upgrades. This includes things like new chillers, bus fleets with three-point seat belts, police fleets and renovated classrooms.
Prop A draft ballot language: “This is a property tax increase. The issuance of an amount not to exceed $492,000,000 school building bonds for the construction, renovation, acquisition, and equipment of school buildings in the District, the purchase of the necessary sites for school buildings, the purchase of new school buses and other new vehicles to be used for student transportation and the purchase or retrofitting of vehicles to be used for emergency, safety, or security purposes, and the levying and imposition of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds and the costs of any credit Agreements.
Proposition B would set aside $102 million for IT improvements, such as network infrastructure and teaching and learning devices.
Prop B draft ballot language: “This is a property tax increase. The issuance of an amount not to exceed $102,000,000 school building bonds for the acquisition and update of technology equipment and the levying and imposition of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds and the costs of any credit agreements.”
Proposition C would set aside $6 million for improvement of the SAISD’s Alamo Stadium and Convocation Center, located at 110 Tuleta Dr.
Prop C draft ballot language: “This is a property tax increase. The issuance of an amount not to exceed $6 million school building bonds for the construction, renovation, and equipping of the Alamo Stadium and Convocation Center.”
If the VATRE and all three bond measures pass, SAISD’s tax rate would go from $1.1552 to $1.6437 per $100 of taxable value by 2030 for homeowners/taxpayers in the district. For an average home of $240,000, that would be approximately $70 more annually.
SAISD is facing a $23 million deficit and serves around 44,000 students. The district last passed a tax measure in 2020 with a $1.3 billion bond, the largest bond measure ever passed in Bexar County.
Northside ISD
Like SAISD, Northside ISD will ask voters to pass both a VATRE and a bond package.
On the VATRE side, NISD is proposing a 3-cent increase to the M&O rate, which would unlock an extra $46 million that the school district uses to primarily use on pay increases for teachers and auxiliary staff, several of which make less than $15 an hour.
Proposition A, the VATRE, would move NISD’s tax rate from $1.0049 to $1.0349 per $100 of taxable property value if voters OK it. For an average home in the district of $
Prop A draft ballot language: “This is a tax increase. Ratifying the ad valorem tax rate of $1.0349 per $100 valuation in Northside Independent School District for the current year, a rate that will result in an increase of 4.49% in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the district for the current year as compared to the preceding year, which is an additional $21,533,914.”
NISD will also ask voters to pass an $886.2 million bond package divided into three propositions. District officials aren’t proposing any changes to the I&S rate though. The last time NISD voters passed a school tax proposal was in 2022 for a $992 bond package.
Proposition B would generate $764,745,000 for building renovations, roofing, new school buses, safety and security upgrades and HVAC replacements.
Prop B draft ballot language: “This is a tax increase. The issuance of not to exceed $764,745,000 of Northside Independent School District school building bonds for the purposes of designing, constructing, renovating, improving, upgrading, updating, acquiring, and equipping school facilities in the District, the purchase of the necessary sites for school facilities, the purchase of new buses and vehicles, and the retrofitting of buses and vehicles with emergency, safety, or security equipment, and the levying of a tax sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds and the cost of any credit agreements.”
Proposition C would reserve $56 million for technology lifecycle replacements.
Prop C draft ballot language: “This is a tax increase. The issuance of not to exceed $56,000,000 of Northside Independent School District school building bonds for the purposes of acquiring and updating instructional technology equipment and the levying of a tax sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds and the cost of any credit agreements.”
Proposition D would use $65.5 million to replace and renovate the district’s George Block Aquatics Center.
Prop D draft ballot language: “The issuance of not to exceed $65,500,000 of Northside Independent School District school building bonds for the purposes of designing, constructing, renovating, improving, upgrading, updating, expanding, replacing, acquiring, and equipping natatoriums in the District (and any necessary or related removal of existing facilities), including replacing the George Block Aquatics Center, and the levying of a tax sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds and the cost of any credit agreements.”
Because property values have dropped in the area, district officials say the average NISD homeowner would actually pay less in taxes this year compared to 2025, even with the rate increase.
South San Antonio ISD
South San Antonio Independent School District will ask voters to increase its maintenance and operations rate by 7 cents. This would generate an extra $2.7 million a year for South San to use on urgent school roof repairs, and 5% raises for paraprofessionals, teaching and instructional aides, several of which make less than $15 an hour right now.
The district’s current tax rate is $1.1959 per $100 of taxable property value. That rate is divided in two smaller rates: $0.4990 on the I&S side and $0.6960 on the M&O side.
South San’s proposed increase, which will likely show up as Prop A on the ballot for district voters, moves pennies from the I&S side to the M&O side and incurs a small increase overall.
Currently under a state-appointed board of managers and superintendent, South San ISD is one of few districts who adopted a balanced budget for the 2026-27 school year, but district officials say extra funds could go a long way.
Draft ballot language for VATRE proposition: “This is a tax increase. Ratifying the ad valorem tax rate of $1.1970 per $100 valuation in the South San Antonio Independent School District for the current year, a rate that will result in an increase of 11.44% in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the district for the current year as compared to the preceding year, which is an additional $2,776,267.”
District officials say the change to tax rate is small, so it wouldn’t significantly increase the cost to homeowners/taxpayers.
East Central ISD
After going out for a VATRE that voters rejected last November, East Central ISD will be back on the ballot with a smaller ask.
One of few districts that’s actually growing in enrollment, ECISD will ask voters to approve adding 3.72 cents to the maintenance and operations rate, which could unlock an extra $8.47 million a year.
Trying to sidestep too large an increase, ECISD’s board decreased its interest and sinking rate by 3.71 cents, so if voters approved the changes in November, their rates would go up by a fraction of a penny.
ECISD officials say the extra money would help the district keep up with inflation, maintain a performance-based compensation plan, hire armed security officers and maintain or even reduce class sizes by hiring more teachers.
This summer, the district projected a $7.5 million budget deficit for the current 2026-27 school year, which started last week. Last year, ECISD served around 11,500 students and estimated getting 600 more students for the current year.
If VATRE passes this year, ECISD’s total tax rate would go from $0.9319 to $0.9320 per $100 of taxable value.
For the average homeowner in ECISD, approval of Prop A will mean less than $1 a year, officials said.
Prop A raft ballot language: “This is a tax increase. Ratifying the ad valorem tax rate of $0.9320 per $100 valuation in the East Central Independent School District for the current year, a rate that will result in an increase of 8.98 percent in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the District for the current year as compared to the preceding year, which is an additional $8,470,660.”
Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD
Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD, a semi-rural district on the far East Side of Bexar County, is proposing a 12-cent increase to its M&O rate, which could generate an additional $15 million a year for the district.
It’s a larger ask than last year, when the district put a 6-cent VATRE on the ballot that voters ultimately rejected.
District officials say the extra funds would go toward employee pay, staff retention and student programs like fine arts, career and technical education and athletics.
SCUCISD is currently dealing with a $14 million budget deficit, which could shrink to $1 million if voters approve the 12-cent VATRE.
If voters say yes, the district’s tax rate would go from $1.0769 to $1.1969 per every $100 of taxable property value for homeowners/taxpayers in the district. For an average home of $317,335, that would be approximately $216 more a year after homestead exemptions.
There is no draft ballot language for SCUCISD’s tax proposition available as of publication.