(FORT BEND ISD) – The Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees has approved a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election for the Nov. 8, 2022 election. The state legislature requires voter approval of a tax rate increase that generates additional revenue for public schools.
The proposed tax rate of $1.2101, the same rate as last year, will generate additional revenue due to increased property valuations.
The district says the additional revenue will be used to:
Address the deficit
Provide funding for safety measures, including assigning police officers to every elementary school campus
Allow increased compensation for teachers, raising starting pay to $60,000 for 2022-23
Allow for increased compensation for auxiliary staff and paraprofessionals
Allow for long-serving staff to receive years-of-service supplemental pay for their commitment and dedication to FBISD
“Fort Bend ISD has a $47 million deficit due to lower than projected student enrollment growth, increased staffing for special education students, past decisions about budgeting for innovative academic programs, expiration of government funding received during the pandemic, and inflation,” said district representatives. “A VATRE is one component in a two-part approach to eliminate the district’s deficit. The other component is strategic budget tightening. FBISD has already reduced its spending by $15.4 million as of June 2022.”
District 26 Representative Jacey Jetton, who represents Sugar Land, Richmond, Rosenberg, and the surrounding areas, has voiced opposition to the increase.
“In periods of high inflation, you tighten your belts and cut back on expenses, which is something every American family is doing right now,” Jetton said. “It is unacceptable for a school district that is not growing in student population to ask families to pay more in property taxes and grow the FBISD budget, when families are cutting their personal budgets to contend with rising food and fuel costs. I have had repeated meetings and calls with the FBISD Board Members and strongly encouraged them not to increase property taxes. Now it is up to the voters in November to vote no on these property tax increases.”
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