Guest Editorial – November 1, 2024 – The Highlander

Why the VATRE is really on the ballot in southern Burnet County

by Herb Krasner, Spicewood, Texas

The Marble Falls ISD (MFISD) is currently operating with a $1.1 million budget deficit. And they

are asking for a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) on the November 5th ballot (Prop A).

This is needed as a stop gap measure to raise approximately $2.2 million to support critical

needs such as the recruitment and retention of staff, maintenance of current class sizes and

continuation of student activities and programs. Without that money, there will be significant

budget cuts which would affect personnel and student programs.

Interestingly, MFISD is not alone in this dilemma, because almost all the school districts across

central Texas are facing budget deficits, causing them to make difficult decisions to keep their

schools funded.

So why is this really happening across central Texas and all across the state?

Sadly, it’s because our state government has systematically underfunded public education for a

long time. That is why Texas is ranked 42

nd

in the nation for its per pupil per year funding level

– at $4,000 below the national average.

To add insult to injury, it is also true that the basic allocation per pupil has not been raised by

our state representatives from $6,160 for the last 6 years. With 20%+ inflation and the

disruptions of the pandemic over that same period, this seems unconscionable. This is why

our state legislature has received a grade of “F” from the Texas Association of School Boards.

These projected deficits will get worse if our state legislature passes a “private school

voucher/ESA” law next year (aka “school’s choice”). The money to support this new voucher

program will come in part from your local ISD when students opt out, and therefore in large

part from YOUR property taxes. That money will be sent to some private school somewhere

else in the form of a subsidy to parents whose child is 70% likely to already be enrolled in that

private school but whose home is in your ISD. There is also the issue of the constitutionality of

such a program – but that’s for the AG and lawyers to fight over.

In the case of Marble Falls ISD, that might mean sending a significant amount of your tax money

to Travis County.

Because of what happened in the last legislative session, it all boils down to what our TX House

“Representative” does next session after this election. What I know for fact is that last session

our incumbent HD-19 representative:

1. Voted against approving an increase in the per pupil basic allocation funding.

2. Voted for private school vouchers/ESAs – which she has promised to do again.

3. Supported Gov. Abbott’s tactic of withholding $5 billion of funding that was allocated to

the public schools (to hold us and the school districts hostage).

So, if you are in favor of the continued defunding of our public schools, and sending your

property tax dollars to the private schools located elsewhere; then by all means please vote for

Ellen Troxclair for TX HD-19 (which includes the counties of: Burnet, Blanco, Gillespie, Kendall,

and the western part of Travis).

But if you happen to be one of the more than 2/3 of all citizens who are against private school

vouchers, then you might want to consider voting for someone else who really does support

our public schools and wants to help improve them.

These voucher programs, which divert scarce public resources to private schools, have been

repeatedly shown in other states to: bust state budgets, fund discrimination against students

and families, fail to improve student outcomes, and undermine funding and resources for the

public schools. They are also widely unpopular with voters. In fact, every time private school

vouchers has been on a state ballot, they have been rejected.

But of course, in Texas we are not permitted to create a state level ballot referendum (a fight

for another day).