Rockwall ISD Trustees call November 4 VATRE

Rockwall, TX (August 19, 2025) – On Monday, the Rockwall ISD Board of Trustees voted to call a Voter-Approval Tax Ratification Election (VATRE), for Tuesday, November 4. The VATRE will determine whether the district can access more than $16.5 million in new funding every year for staff compensation, student programs, and underfunded special education and school safety. The November VATRE will be known as Proposition A on the November ballot.

A Voter-Approval Tax Ratification Election is a local school finance election that asks voters to consider allowing the district to access additional pennies on the Maintenance & Operations (M&O) tax rate. Rockwall ISD Trustees also approved an 8-cent reduction to the district’s Interest & Sinking (I&S) tax rate on Monday. They then called the VATRE election for 12 new cents on the operational side of the budget. Voters will be asked whether they are FOR or AGAINST the net 4-cent M&O tax rate change. The tax impact of the 2025 VATRE is -66% less than the prior year’s proposal.

The election ballot will also include a Constitutional Amendment for an additional $40,000 Homestead Exemption, which will lower the overall taxable value of the average primary residence in Rockwall ISD. Residents who are 65 and older will not be impacted by the VATRE as long as they don’t make improvements to their primary residence.

Tax Impact
The average impact of the VATRE on Rockwall ISD voters is $160 per year or about $13 per month. Rockwall ISD is one of only four districts in our area that does not currently have access to VATRE funds and the only school district in House District 33 without a VATRE.

Where Would the Money Go?
VATRE passage would generate $16.5 million more in local funds every year for the Rockwall ISD operating budget. If approved, the funds would be used to address employee compensation, school safety, special education and student programs.

If the VATRE does not pass, the district will not have access to the $16.5 million in new funds for students, staff, and schools, and the district may consider options such as adjusting class sizes, modifying programs, or increasing fees to support teacher and staff recruitment and retention.

To take part in the November election, register to vote by Monday, Oct. 6. Early voting runs Oct. 20-31.

You can learn more about school finance and the local budget by visiting our new Simple Truths Website. You can learn more about the November election by visiting Rockwall ISD’s VATRE2025 website.

Press release submitted by Luci Mouton, Rockwall ISD, edited for publication in Blue Ribbon News. 

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