Prop B Explained:

Prop B is a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE). This proposition impacts the  Maintenance & Operation (M&O) budget, which helps pay the daily operation costs of the district including teacher salaries and student education resources. According to LISD Superintendent Dr. Bruce Gearing, the school board lowered the Interest & Sinking tax rate (I&S) by 13 cents and raised the tax rate on the M&O tax rate by 9 cents for an overall tax rate decrease. The increase of the M&O to a rate greater than the rate set by law is what triggered the VATRE. Gearing said Prop B allows the district to manage our bond debt responsibly, while giving us the funds to pay teacher salaries and academic programs. School finance in Texas is structured primarily around property tax revenue, which means the board must manage the tax rate, according to Gearing. Prop B would generate enough revenue to pay for salary increases the Board adopted in the spring. The district administration also proposed a compensation plan contingent on the VATRE passing in November. In the May 19 meeting, the Board voted to include the pay increases in the approved 2022-23 budget. Click here for the Board vote, with the discussion about the compensation plan starting around the 4:51:00 mark.

If Prop B Passes (voting yes):

If Prop B is passed, the district says they would use increased revenue, or income, to fund previously approved raises for staff and to keep academic programs running. The resulting overall tax rate of $1.2746 is a $0.0624 decrease from the 2021-22 year, according to the LISD elections website. 

If Prop B Fails (voting no):

If Prop B fails, the district says they would need to make cuts of nearly 30 million dollars in the 2023-24 school year. This would impact academic programs and LISD’s ability to hire and retain teachers. The district says this deficit is equivalent to 458 teaching positions.

The Wolfpack staff used numerous websites and sources as they gathered information:

• Wolfcast Behind the Ballot: Props A & B and Dr. Gearing Interview
• TEA website
• Leander ISD Elections website
• KXAN website
• LISD Board Approves 5% Increase to Teacher Salaries, 4% for All Others
• Smart Money
• May 19, 2022 LISD Board meeting recording