Nine voters force Louise ISD taxes to roll back to $1.20
By BRENDA SOMMER bsommer@leader-news.com

By a nine-vote margin, Louise school district voters yesterday turned down a tax rate higher than the state recommends, meaning cuts in services and programs could be in store.

When the results of the district's rollback election were released around 8:45 last night, the proposed rate failed by a 90-99 tally.

Although a tax rollback election, the rate LISD trustees hoped voters would approve was actually 16 cents per $100 valuation lower than last year's rate of $1.47 per $100 valuation. The state requires a rate of $1.20, which triggered the rollback election, since the LISD board voted to set the rate at $1.31.

The rollback rate provides the district with about the same amount of tax revenue it spent the previous year. The budget, now that the district will have to use the state-recommended tax rate, remains at $4.2 million.

"The board's going to have some hard decisions to make," Superintendent Andy Peters said shortly after being handed the results at the county courthouse annex in Wharton. "What really concerns me is, with my understanding of school funding, we'll have to cut programs and/or personnel in the next few years."

Peters has said keeping the same budget as last year means cuts in improvements, maintenance, bus purchases, the number of teachers, sick days for bus drivers, the band budget, travel and supplies, among other areas. As well, there will be no local pay increases for any staff, although the district will raise its health insurance contribution to cover a rate increase.

Board members and Peters had emphasized the only way for districts to bring in more revenue is to either add students or go past the state-mandated rate, and noted that even if the rollback rate passed, almost all taxpayers would still have had lower tax bills than last year.

The district would've gained a total of $277,274 in local and state funds had the higher rate passed, and planned to use that money for a new bus, raises and a new science teaching position and some facilities improvements.

Peters said he's concerned some voters may not have known which choice to make in the election.

"One thing that bothers me is I just hope people understood how to vote," he said. "Even today, people asked me, 'Does 'For' mean 'For,' or 'For' mean 'Against?'' The wording the state made us use is confusing."

Peters feels failure to pass the higher rate could mean employees might leave the district.

"We're the lowest paid district in the county right now, so we have to keep pace or we'll have constant turnover," he said.

He said he will meet with trustees soon to discuss their next steps.

"We will continue to do what we've been doing - we're writing a lot of grants and we're going to go after every one we can," Peters said.