Yoakum ISD calls for VATRE in upcoming Nov. 4 election

Residents of the Yoakum Independent School District (ISD) will vote Tuesday, Nov. 4, on a proposed tax rate increase aimed at boosting staff compensation across the district. The proposal, known as a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE), was approved by the Yoakum ISD Board of Trustees during its Aug. 18 meeting.

SB1025 requires “This Is A Tax Increase” to be printed on the ballot even though the measure would not result in an increase in total tax revenue. In fact, the district projects a 10.59% decrease in revenue, approximately $1.3 million less than last year, due to declining property values and recent changes to the homestead exemption.

If approved, Proposition A would raise the district’s tax rate by three cents, bringing in an estimated $900,000 in annual funding, which would then generate $400,000 from the state. Unlike other funding sources, the revenue generated through the VATRE will not be subject to recapture, Texas’s mechanism for redistributing local tax dollars to other districts, allowing Yoakum ISD to keep 100% of the money raised.

District officials said the decision to pursue a VATRE followed months of review of Yoakum ISD’s operating budget, staffing costs, and long-term financial outlook.

The proposition will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot for all voters residing within Yoakum ISD boundaries. Early voting will take place from today through Oct. 31.

Election Day voting will be held 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4.

For more information, residents may contact Superintendent Tom Kelley at 361-293-3162 or visit Yoakum ISD website at www.yoakumisd.net.