Belton ISD trustees discuss disaster pennies, voter tax election and revenue bond to cover storm damage, safety and stadium needs

BELTON, Texas — The Belton Independent School District Board of Trustees met in a special session Wednesday evening to discuss financing options to address recent storm damage, ongoing safety and security costs and aging stadium infrastructure.

District staff told trustees the district has received a final damage assessment of a little more than $3,000,000 from its insurer but still faces a $1,000,000 deductible and tighter operating budgets. Staff reviewed three revenue strategies: a one‑year “disaster pennies” tax increase, a permanent voter‑approved tax‑rate election (VATER) for the same pennies, and a stadium revenue bond backed by gate and related stadium revenues.

The discussion matters because the choices carry different timing, duration and taxpayer impacts. Disaster pennies would provide one year of additional maintenance‑and‑operations revenue; a successful VATER would make the revenue permanent. A revenue bond would not require voter approval but would pledge stadium revenues to pay principal and interest on a project‑specific financing.

District staff presented the damage estimate and the three options during the presentation. “We’ve been assessed a little over $3,000,000 worth of damages that have yet to be addressed,” said Melissa (district staff; full name not specified). She told trustees the district currently holds roughly $500,000 in a line item for facilities needs but that amount was reduced from prior years and is not earmarked specifically for insurance deductibles. “Historically, we would…