 
Election Held: October 11, 2008
FOR raises for our teachers, librarians, nurses, counselors, and all other district staff
FOR a better financial position
FOR a more competitive school district
FOR the same overall tax rate!
For more information please visit: www.voteforroisd.com
Issue #1: ROISD teachers and staff deserve higher pay; the district is not competitive with others in the area. ROISD wants to pay its teachers and staff more. They deserve it, and ROISD needs to be competitive with area districts if it is going to attract and retain quality teachers. A comparison with area schools of similar size and quality shows that $1.1M is required to pull the dsitrict up to the median salary rate for our area; this would provide a $2000 raise for teachers, librarians, nurses, and counselors with a 3% raise for all other district employees. But the dsitrict needs to come up with additional funds to do this; thre isnot enough money in the budget now.
Issue #2: ROISD does not have an adequate balance in its General Fund. The General Fund is like a savings account, money that the district needs to keep afloat when state payments are delayed or when costs rise unexpectedly (as in the case of fuel and food). Currently the balance in the fund is about $2.5M, well below the recommended value (for a district our size) of about $4.75M. Again, there is no additional money to add to the fund.
How will the tax rate change?
With last year’s bond election for the construction and renovation of schools, the overall tax rate was expected to increase from $1.30 to $1.54 per $100 of valuation. To help out homeowners, the ROISD Board of Trustees has decided to sell its bonds in stages so that the rate will only go to $1.50 this year. Next year, after the rest of the bonds have been sold, it will go to $1.54.
The property taxes collected by the schools are divided into two parts: M&O and I&S. The bulk of the collected taxes is for maintenance and operations (M&O), or the funds required for the day-to-day expenses of the schools such as payroll, utilities, supplies, and so on. This portion is currently $1.04. The other part is called interest and sinking (I&S) and is used to pay principel and interest on bonds, much like a mortgage payment on a house. This is the portion that increased as a result of last year’s bond election; for 2008-09, it is projected to be $0.46.
House Bill 1, passed by the 79th Texas Legislature in 2006, is well-known for limiting the property taxes that school districts may collect. However, that bill also laid the ground work for school districts to call a Tax Rate Rollback Election. If approved by voters, the district will increase the M&O portion by 13 cents and decrease the I&S portion by 13 cents, leaving the overall total rate the same at $1.50.
Why bother with the election if the overall rate will stay the same?
The tax code regarding School Tax Rollback Elections only deals with the M&O rate. Since this rate will be increased, it requires voter approval– even though the overall effect is that the rate stays the same.
Won’t the schools just collect the same amount of money from the taxpayers?
Yes, the amount collected locally from property taxes will remain the same. However, another part of the school’s funding comes from the state. Because ofthe method that the state uses to calculate their part, a higher M&O rate puts ROISD into a different level or tier of funding. This means that the district will get more money directly from the state– approximately $3M more. This will cover the $1.1M needed for staff raises as well as allow for $500K to be added to the General Fund. As allowed by state law, the remaining $1.4M will be used for operational costs, purchasing property, and debt reduction.
Use of additional $3M in state funding:
$1.1M - Raises for teachers, nurses, librarians, counselors, and all other school staff
$500,000 - Add to the General Fund
$1.4M - Operational costs, purchasing property, and debt payments
When and where is voting?
Voter registration deadline: September 11
Registration forms are available at all school offices and the Red Oak Municipal Building.Early Voting Locations
Any precinct can vote at any location.
How can I help support this election? Vote Yes For Our Kids is a political action committee formed to publicize and support elections that improve the Red Oak ISD. We are a group of citizens from this community that believes in providing a strong foundation for our kids and teachers in order to provide the best education possible and, as a result, improve our community as a whole.Â
We welcome any and all assistance, whether it be monetary donations, volunteer time, or moral support. If you’re interested in donating, please download this donation form.If you’d like additional information, please contact Karen Stanfill (president) at 972-617-0350 or family@ovillavet.com