91制片厂 Board of Trustees has called for a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election on Nov. 3, 2020. If approved, the VATRE would generate approximately $56 million in additional revenue for the district. 鈥淧assage of the VATRE would provide our district millions in state funding that we could not access otherwise,鈥 said 91制片厂 Superintendent Dr. Marcelo Cavazos. 鈥淭he money would be used to improve compensation for teachers and staff and to address operational day鈥恡o鈥恉ay expenses.鈥
91制片厂 has identified three primary uses for the VATRE:
1) Teacher Pay
91制片厂 has lost ground in competitive market pay for teachers over the last several years.聽Competing districts with more revenue can effectively attract and retain quality educators through higher salaries. A VATRE would be used to increase teacher compensation.
2) Access to additional state funding
The additional pennies of tax authorized through a VATRE are weighted in state funding formulas. The proposed tax rate increase would generate approximately $18 million in state aid to be used for teacher salaries and instructional programs.
3) Staff Pay
Like pay for teachers, 91制片厂 would use the VATRE to increase pay for support staff.聽 This includes approximately 4,000 staff members who provide educational support services for students, drive buses, clean and maintain schools and provide security services.
91制片厂 has never had a VATRE. In fact, the district鈥檚 Maintenance and Operations tax rate has remained the same or declined in each of the past 15 years. 鈥淭he majority of school districts in our area have already passed VATREs,鈥 said 91制片厂 Board of Trustees President Kecia Mays. 鈥淏y not passing one ourselves, we are leaving millions of dollars of state aid on the table. We have outstanding teachers and staff. The VATRE would be used to increase their salaries in the future.鈥 If the VATRE is approved by voters in November, the total tax rate would increase 8.84 cents. The new tax rate would cost the owner of an average home in Arlington, which is valued at $208,985 according to the Tarrant Appraisal District, an additional $162.70 annually, or $13.56 per month. Taxpayers over age 65 would incur no tax increase unless they make substantial improvements to their home.
More information is available at aisd.net/vatre.