Northwest ISD will hold several community meetings over the next three weeks to provide more information about the Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) that will be on November ballots.
The district recently called the VATRE because, like many others across Texas, it has adopted a significant deficit budget for the 2024-2025 school year due to the state’s “outdated school funding model, which has not been updated since 2019 despite substantial inflation,” the district said in a press release. Additionally, the state approved $4 billion in new funding for public schools in 2023, but has not provided those funds to the schools.
Northwest ISD faces a $15.8 million deficit for the upcoming school year, even after implementing a midpoint raise for staff in the rapidly growing district. If approved by voters, the VATRE would generate nearly $16 million for the 2024-2025 school year, with additional funds expected in subsequent years as enrollment continues to rise.
If passed, the VATRE would result in a 3-cent increase in the district’s maintenance and operations (M&O) tax rate, raising it from $0.6669 to $0.6969. This would translate to an average annual increase of $120 on a home valued at $500,000, the district said.
The district will host five in-person informational presentations about the VATRE and answer residents’ questions. The following community meetings have been scheduled, all to start at 6 p.m.:
- Sept. 24 at the Daniel Elementary library, 1901 Tye St., Northlake
- Sept. 30 at the Northwest High School cafeteria, 2301 Texan Drive, Justin
- Oct. 1 at Eaton High School’s performing arts center, 1350 Eagle Blvd. Haslet
- Oct. 2 at Byron Nelson High School’s cafeteria, 2775 Bobcat Blvd., Trophy Club
- Oct. 8 at Chisholm Trail Middle School’s cafeteria, 583 FM 3433, Rhome
Click here for more information about the NISD VATRE.
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