Judson Independent School District hopes to unlock an extra $21 million every year by putting a tax increase proposal up to voters.
Nestled on the far Northeast Side of San Antonio, Judson ISD serves about 23,000 students in a semi-rural area and plans to use the extra cash to recruit and retain teachers and maintain academic programs along with “high quality support services,” like social emotional learning, special education, dyslexia and gifted and talented programs.
If voters say no, a $37 million budget deficit will be in place for the 2025-26 school year and Judson officials expect to offer “fewer supports” for students, teachers and staff.
Facing the shortfall, the district wants to increase its overall property tax rate by 4.5 cents, shifting the current rate from $1.0346 to $1.0796 per $100 of taxable value.
Those 4.5 cents would fall under the district’s maintenance and operations rate, which generates revenue for day-to-day costs like utilities and pay. The district also needs approval from voters to move two pennies from its interest and sinking rate, which pays for bond debt, over to the M&O rate.
If approved, the combined 6.5-cent increase to the M&O rate by itself would generate about $3.8 million for the district, but Judson ISD could access another $17 million by using so-called golden and copper pennies, funding mechanisms where the state matches taxpayer dollars based on the district’s property wealth.
In Judson’s proposed M&O rate increase, 3 cents are golden pennies, which have higher yields, and the remaining 3.5 cents are copper, which have lower yields.
What is Judson ISD’s Prop A?
Here’s what the provision on the ballot actually says:
Ratifying the ad valorem tax rate of $1.0796 per $100 valuation in the Judson Independent School District for the current year, a rate that will result in an increase of 3.78% in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the district for the current year as compared to the preceding year, which is an additional $3,824,720.
