The VATRE is a tax rate increase.

Even with the three additional golden pennies from the passage of the VATRE, the total overall tax rate (Maintenance & Operations plus Interest & Sinking) will be lowered by $0.0014. With the passage of the VATRE, the M&O tax rate will increase by $0.0079 from 2023’s rate, but the Board approved a decrease of $0.0093 on the I&S rate, which results in a lower overall total tax rate. If the VATRE fails, the M&O tax rate would be $0.7069 instead of $0.7369, resulting in $6 million less in revenue for GCISD. 

The VATRE won’t be spent on teachers.

If the VATRE were to pass, the $6 million dollars of additional revenue would be used to fund daily operating expenses such as staff, instruction, transportation, maintenance, utilities and extracurricular activities. With 87% of the maintenance and operations budget paying for personnel, the majority of the funds are allocated for staff salaries, including teachers. If the VATRE does not pass, GCISD will have to reduce staffing (87% of the budget is personnel) and student programs, impacting every campus and department, and discussions of additional cost-saving measures would also be considered.

The 2024-2025 budget doesn’t include a pay raise for our teachers. 

While the 2024-2025 budget, which was built with the assumption that the VATRE passes, did not include an increase in compensation for staff, all employees received a one-time payment at the start of the year. For the district to continue offering competitive compensation, an increase in the basic allotment, which hasn't changed since 2019, is essential. We encourage community members to reach out to their elected officials and advocate for an increase in public school funding.