As you probably know, Early Voting is underway here in Texas for the November 5 election. Last spring and again this summer, I reached out to you to explain where GCISD was in the budget process and how the lack of state funding since 2019 is impacting our district. Within those messages a Voter-Approved Tax Ratification Election (VATRE) was introduced, and over the last few months, you have likely seen a great deal of information about this local election in your emails, your mailboxes, and on the district’s website and social media accounts.
When you go to the polls during this election, all GCISD residents will find Proposition A on their ballot for our school district. If this proposition passes, it would generate approximately $6 million in maintenance and operations (M&O) revenue that stays in GCISD, unlike a portion of our other M&O revenue that is required to be sent back to the state through recapture, also known as “Robin Hood.” Additionally, even with the passage of the proposition, the overall GCISD tax rate will decrease from the 2023 overall tax rate. This is accomplished by the reduction in the interest and sinking (I&S) tax rate, which funds the repayment of bond debt, and can only be used for that purpose. Over the past six years, the overall GCISD tax rate has been reduced by 47.3 cents, and is the lowest school district tax rate among our surrounding districts. I want to ensure our community is aware of these critical aspects of the proposition.
If Proposition A 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. If Proposition A 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.
As parents and employees, I hope that you are fully informed about the proposition. If you haven’t heard the presentation in its entirety, I encourage you to watch it online here. The recording of this presentation is broken down by topic, so if there is one particular item you are needing to review, this video has chapters on each of those for your convenience. However, school funding is a complicated issue and we understand that there may be some areas where you still have questions. Please do not hesitate to reach out with those questions by clicking here. Our staff wants to make sure you have the answers you need to make an informed decision.
Early voting runs through Friday, November 1, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 5. You may vote at ANY Tarrant County Early Voting or Election Day location. Your vote is a powerful way to directly impact our students and our schools. I encourage you to research, participate, and make your voice count. In partnership, we’re building the future of our schools and community. Thank you for your continued support – together, we’re making a difference.
Dr. Brad Schnautz
Superintendent
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD