Whitehouse ISD School Funding Election
Frequently Asked Questions From Our Community

A School Funding Election, also known as a Voter-Approval Tax Ratification Election (VATRE), is authorized by the Texas Legislature to provide voters with the opportunity to fund the education of local students in a manner that meets the expectations of their community. Our state leaders made this voter-approval option available after several rounds of school funding cuts by the Legislature, giving our voters the chance on November 4 to decide the tax rate and maintenance & operations (M&O) funds needed to improve teacher salaries, and maintain and/or expand academic, job training, and safety programs in the district, among other things.

If voters approve the School Funding Election, it will provide us an estimated $2.5 million a year to maintain our schools of excellence.

WHITEHOUSE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIAL ELECTION PROPOSITION A: THIS IS A TAX INCREASE

Voters may vote For or Against Proposition A.

Ratifying the ad valorem tax rate of $0.9649 per $100 valuation in Whitehouse Independent School District for the current year, a rate that will result in an increase of 10.9256 percent in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the District for the current year as compared to the preceding year, which is an additional $2,469,482.

*It is important to note that while the ballot says this is a tax increase due to recent tax rate cuts, efficiency programs by the district, and the Texas Legislature recently increasing the homestead exemption, the average homeowner in Whitehouse ISD would see a $246.81 DECREASE in their property tax bill when compared to last year. Homeowners 65 years of age and older who have filed their senior citizen homestead exemption will see no increase in their tax rates now or in the future.

Yes. Hundreds of school districts in Texas have already passed a School Funding Election.

The School Funding Election is a direct result of listening to our community year-round to understand the expectations of parents and taxpayers, and spending countless hours reviewing funding priorities, analyzing academic and career training programs, and classroom safety initiatives.

As we do regularly, we reviewed the competitive nature of teacher salaries across the region, the academic needs of our students, class sizes, CTE offerings, programs that prepare our kids for college or careers, safety and security needs, and many other areas of our district budget. We also factored in the rising costs of goods and inflation to ensure that tax dollars are used as effectively as possible.

While our leaders in Austin have slightly increased the state’s portion of funding for local school districts in recent years, this funding increase has continued to lag behind inflation and does not fully compensate for the significant funding cuts made in previous years.

Due to recent tax rate cuts, efficiency programs by the district, and the Texas Legislature recently increasing the homestead exemption, if the School Funding Election were to pass and allow for a four cents increase to our Maintenance and Operations budget, our tax rate would remain 45¢ lower than 8 years ago.

If the School Funding Election PASSES: The average homeowner would see an estimated $246.81 decrease in their school property tax bill compared to last year.

If the School Funding Election does NOT pass: The average homeowner would see an estimated $415.82 decrease in their school tax bill compared to last year, about $169 more in savings than if it passes.

Why the difference? The increased state homestead exemption lowers taxable value for homeowners. Passing the election reduces those savings by about $169.01 for the average home compared to the “no” scenario.

Notes: These figures are estimates based on the current average home value and the homestead exemption. Individual tax bills will vary based on appraised value, exemptions, and other factors.

Whitehouse ISD’s school property tax rate is $0.9249 per $100 of valuation, which includes $0.05 in temporary disaster relief approved by the state after the 2024 storm damage. That $0.05 expires in 2025.

If the School Funding Election passes, Whitehouse ISD would be able to retain the $0.05 disaster relief and add $0.04, resulting in a $0.9649 per $100 valuation school tax rate, which would yield $2.5 million in additional school funding.

If voters approve the School Funding Election our tax rate will remain one of the lowest in Smith County.

See the breakdown here:

Homeowners 65 years of age and older who have filed their senior citizen homestead exemption will see no increase in their tax rates now or in the future.

Whitehouse ISD will continue with our efficiency policies that have kept our tax rate among the lowest in the region and earned us the highest rankings for transparency and district accountability by state agencies.

Please contact us at 903-839-5500. The Whitehouse ISD staff, administrators and Board of Trustees will do their best to accommodate all questions and concerns.