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Boerne ISD budget workshop: House Bill 2 leaves district short; trustees consider VADER and a compensation plan to retain teachers
Summary
After analyzing House Bill 2, Boerne ISD staff recommended pursuing a Voter Approval Tax Ratification Election (VADER) for three "golden pennies" to fund a competitive strategic financial plan that would raise starting teacher pay to $60,000, increase paraprofessional and auxiliary wages, and shore up capital needs; trustees asked for more legal and timing details before action.
Boerne ISD trustees spent the June 9 workshop reviewing how recent state school finance changes (House Bill 2) affect the district and considering local steps to address funding shortfalls.
House Bill 2 effects and hold-harmless loss: Administration told trustees that while HB2 injects new state dollars for teacher retention and other allotments, an elimination of a previous hold-harmless provision reduces Boerne ISD’s net gain by about $2.4 million. Staff estimated the district will receive about $3.0 million from the teacher retention allotment, roughly $470,000 from a support-staff allotment, and $150,000 conservatively for special-education initial-evaluation funding, but these increases are offset by formula changes and compressed tax yields.
VADER and local revenue options: Bond counsel Clay Benford and finance staff explained mechanics and risks of a Voter Approval Tax Ratification Election (VADER). Staff proposed asking voters to approve three additional "golden pennies" within the M&O rate while reducing the…
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