Election Day 2023: Lockhart ISD voters approve VATRE for staff pay, security upgrades

LOCKHART, Texas - Lockhart ISD voters approved the VATRE, or Voter Approval Tax Ratification Election, on Nov. 7, securing $3 million for staff pay and districtwide security upgrades.

Unofficial results show 59 percent of voters supported the proposal. The results will be official after the Board of Trustees canvass the votes during a special meeting on Nov. 20.

The VATRE's approval also means the school's tax rate will drop from $1.1123 to $0.9569. 

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Due to this and the simultaneous passage of Proposition 4, which raised the homestead exemption to $100,000, the average taxpayer in the district will see a yearly savings of $496.

The district says the $3 million generated by the VATRE will compensate for the district’s loss in state funding, which occurred following property value disputes between Caldwell County Appraisal District and the Texas Comptroller.