There are big items on the ballot that will impact your wallet.
Fort Worth ISD is asking voters to consider approving a change in the tax rate that will pump an additional $66 million into the district's operating budget.
It’s called a TRE, or a Tax Ratification Election, and it’s on the ballot for the Nov. 3 General Election.
The district is laying out three big reasons for the special election. They all tie back to COVID-19 and how our area's second-largest district has had to readjust how they teach students.
The Fort Worth ISD board of trustee's called for the special election. If approved, the TRE would provide:
- Safety training for teachers, staff and students.
- Personal protective equipment.
- Plexiglass dividers and other modifications on district campuses.
- Laptops and reliable internet access for every child in every ZIP code.
- Funding for ongoing security upgrades to prevent cyber attacks. FWISD was the victim of a ransomware attack in March.
The TRE would also raise teacher salaries to hire and keep good educators.
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"Making sure we're incentivizing our best teachers to work with our students in the greatest need, also filling those hard to fill positions in math, science, special education bilingual education,” district superintendent Kent Scribner said.
According to the district, this is how the TRE adds up if approved.
- Provide $44 million for FWISD from the tax rate change.
- Generate from the state another $22 million.
- $44 million + $22 million = $66 million for FWISD.
- Increase property taxes about $13/month on an average price fort worth home ($167,000).
There would be no property tax rate increase for homeowners 65 or older.
Scribner says some difficult decisions will have to be made this spring if the bond does not pass.
You can learn more about the TRE before heading to the polls on the district's website: https://www.fwisd.org/election
