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Northwest ISD superintendent outlines enrollment surge and asks voters to consider tax increase to close $15.8M shortfall
Summary
Northwest ISD Superintendent Dr. Phil Faust briefed Northlake council on district enrollment (about 32,028), plans for new schools including a middle school in Northlake, and a proposed 3‑cent VADER tax request projected to raise roughly $16 million annually to eliminate a $15.8 million operating deficit.
Dr. Phil Faust, superintendent of Northwest Independent School District, told the Northlake Town Council on Sept. 12 that the district is experiencing rapid growth and significant budget pressure.
Faust said Northwest ISD enrollment topped 32,028 students that morning and that the district anticipates further growth that will require new schools: two replacement elementary schools, three additional middle schools and another high school over the next several years. He previewed Middle School No. 8, planned for Northlake, with a roughly 190,000‑square‑foot design and an expected construction timeline of nearly two years.
On finance, Faust said the district adopted a $2.9 million deficit budget last year and faces a $15.8 million deficit in the current budget cycle. He explained that a Voter‑Approved Debt/Tax election (VADER) — the statutory mechanism districts use to increase maintenance and operations revenue — is the district’s only option to raise M&O operating revenue. Faust said the district is proposing a three‑penny increase, which for a median home value of about $500,000 would amount to roughly $120 annually. Based on current values, he estimated the measure would yield roughly $16 million annually and close the current deficit.
Councilmembers asked about state funding and recapture (commonly called ‘Robin Hood’), and Faust noted the district has sent significant funds back to the state in recent years and that some state funds remain unreleased. Council members discussed outreach and education for voters; Faust offered to answer questions and provide transparency and details for residents.
Separately, Councilmember Alex Holmes raised a question about a library‑book concern at Daniel Elementary; Faust said the district was aware and ‘‘on top of it.’’
