Early voting begins Monday in Millsap ISD tax rate election

MILLSAP – Millsap ISD is up to bat, seemingly swinging like crazy to ask voters to pony up an additional 13 cents per $100 property value for the district’s maintenance and operations tax.

If voters approve the referendum on Nov. 3, MISD taxpayers would pay about $1.66 per $100 taxable valuation. This includes $1.17 for M&O; – up from $1.04 – combined with 49.5 cents for interest and sinking, or debt service.

MISD Superintendent Jerry Lee Hunkapiller said that through this tax rate election, also called a TRE, the district would receive at least $517,000 more in local and state aide every year from now until the law changes.

“This tax rate election is extremely important because it not only helps us this school year, but it helps Millsap for the next six years.

“Right now, we need to understand that this is the most important election for Millsap ISD. Our voters are given a great opportunity to let us know if they want us to continue with the programs that we have in place or they can let us know as a community that they want us to cut programs and reduce staff,” he said.

Millsap ISD is not alone in asking voters to help out. School boards throughout the state have begged local voters for the optional funds since the inception of House Bill 1. By the end of 2009, the headcount of districts having TREs will total over 280.

According to TexasISD, Millsap is among 35 public school districts asking voters for more change this semester – approximately 25 are calling for TREs on Nov. 3. So far, nine districts had TREs, with six passing and three failing.

Locally, Santo ISD tried to pass a TRE in October, which narrowly failed.

Prior to this school year, approximately 250 of Texas’ 1,025 public school districts conducted TREs, with 180 passing and 72 failing.

“It’s not by choice, but it’s by survival – to maintain programs and pay staff,” said Hunkapiller, explaining why districts like his and Santo are asking for more funds.

The reason for so many TREs goes back to House Bill 1, adopted in a special session on May 12, 2006. The bill locked schools into a $1.04 M&O; tax and fixed target revenues based on 2006 values without inflationary adjustments.

Both Santo and Millsap have target revenues well below the state average. Millsap draws a revenue of $4,715 per weighted average daily attendance, or weighted student, also referred to as WADA.

Target revenue varies greatly across the state’s public school districts. According to TexasISD, the average target revenue per WADA in Texas is $5,076. However, the average of the lowest 10 districts is $3,989. On the opposite pole are a few school districts that reap target revenue amounts of $12,000 per WADA.

According to Hunkapiller, Millsap ISD receives $355 less per student than the state average. He called the current target revenue system under HB 1, “One of the most inequitable funding systems in the history of the state.”

“How can you say it’s equitable when Millsap ISD is getting $4,715 and other districts are getting over $12,000 – a bunch of them get over $10,000 per weighted student.”

“If this system doesn’t change and tax rate elections aren’t passed by local voters then how much longer will it be before districts discuss the ‘C’ word?” he asked, referring to consolidation.

He said that many districts hoped things would change with the 2009 legislative session, but added that the horizon is challenging for legislators because “they dug themselves in such a large hole with H.B. 1 and dug it even further [in 2009].”

“This last session the state approved $1.9 billion for public schools but that amount was supplanted 100 percent with federal stimulus funds,” explained Hunkapiller. “So in the next session the first thing [legislators] are going to have to do is make up the $1.9 billion for the things they funded with federal dollars [this year, such as] the mandatory teacher pay raises.”

He added that in future sessions, legislators “have to make up for inflationary increases, which they delayed [in 2009].”

Hunkapiller said he “doesn’t disagree with legislators.” He referred to a previous Index article, in which Rep. Jim Keffer said the state wanted taxpayers and voters to have a “bigger voice in the property appraisal and revenue increases they pay for” and to “increase taxpayer power over school tax hikes by requiring school districts to call elections if they want more money than the state-mandated maximum tax rate generates.”

Millsap ISD’s TRE is not a choice to help the district expand programs, Hunkapiller reiterated, but it’s a necessity.

“I agree with and respect Keffer – but our target revenue is so low, it’s not by choice. We’re doing a tax rate election to keep the district alive,” he said.

“That’s where [the state funding system is] unfair and inexcusable,” he said. “It is inevitable that there will be another lawsuit because this is inexcusable.”

Hunkapiller also agreed with Keffer’s statements that districts “must communicate their needs to the voters of the community, and let the voters decide if they want to make the investment. In turn, the voters need to listen to their school district and assist them with worthy projects.”

“It is what it is right now and our taxpayers have to know that, right now, we need their help desperately to let us know what they really want for Millsap ISD,” said Hunkapiller.

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