School districts leaning on voters to meet state mandates – Spectrum News

School districts leaning on voters to meet state mandates  Spectrum News

A vote on bonds would help raise money to meet the need. SAN ANTONIO — There are school bond election signs planted all over San Antonio, from southern Bexar County to northern San Antonio. These aren’t typical bond elections, where funds go toward capital projects and buildings. These districts are calling for a voter-approval tax rate election, or VATRE. “When you hear the word VATRE, you think of Darth Vader. Like, what is a VATRE?” said Brandon Oliver, East Central ISD communications director. “A VATRE deals with the M&O port of the tax rate, which is the daily operations. That’s the salaries. That’s keeping the lights on, keeping the buses going.” Oliver said safety is something the district wants to address in the VATRE.

These are state mandates Oliver said his district can’t comply with without additional funding. Northside ISD, too, said that part of its bond package addresses safety and security. “Making sure there is an armed officer at every single campus,” Oliver said. “The state funding has stayed flat. There was a small increase of about $50 per student allotment.” The increase is not enough to keep up with inflation, he said. “We are not building any new schools, but we need to upgrade HVAC and security,” Tesilia Soliz, Northside ISD transportation director, said. Soliz said the package