Recently, there have been a lot of signs around San Antonio neighborhoods saying "Vote For Prop A." At first, I thought they were for the midterm elections, but it turns out many are related to school votes.

The ballot on November 3 will not only include federal and state elections. It also includes tax and bond proposals from our child's school district.

According to Texas Public Radio, there are five school districts in this area that have put tax-related measures on the ballot: San Antonio ISD, Northside ISD, South San Antonio ISD, East Central ISD, and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD.

First, let's clarify some terms. The most confusing term on the ballot is VATRE.

VATRE stands for Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election. Texas school districts must hold a public vote if they want to raise the Maintenance and Operations (M&O) tax rate above the legally defined limit.

On the other hand, a bond is money used for large investments like building repairs, heating and cooling systems, school buses, and technology equipment. This is repaid through a debt service tax rate (I&S).

In simple terms, you can think of VATRE as the salary and operating expenses, while bonds are like home repair loans. Since they are used for different purposes, it's appropriate to evaluate them separately.

Now, let's take a look at each school district. The largest one is San Antonio ISD.

SAISD has proposed an increase of 3.17 cents in the M&O tax rate and a total bond proposal of $600 million. The additional operating revenue from the tax increase is estimated to be $5,541,056 based on the ballot language.

The bonds are divided into three parts. Prop A is for $492 million for school modernization, facility upgrades, and safety enhancements.

Prop B is for $10.1 million for IT needs like networks and devices. Prop C is for $6 million for improvements to Alamo Stadium and the Convocation Center.

According to KABB reports, if all four measures pass, the average homeowner will see an increase of $1.99 per month by 2026. By 2030, this could rise to about $5.76 per month.

Honestly, I was a bit disappointed about this part. SAISD has decided not to publicly disclose the list of projects for each school.

The district explains this is for flexibility. If the measures pass, they will listen to community feedback to determine how the funds will be used.

Northside ISD is also large. They proposed a 3-cent increase in the M&O tax rate, raising it from $1.0049 to $1.0349 (per $100 of taxable value).

NISD's total bond proposal is $886.2 million. Prop B, which covers renovations, roofs, buses, and HVAC, is the largest, along with $56 million for technology and $65.5 million for replacing the George Block pool.

NISD has stated they will not raise the debt service tax rate. Additionally, the 3-cent increase must pass for a 2% across-the-board salary increase for staff to be possible.

The remaining three districts only proposed VATRE increases. South San Antonio ISD proposed a 7-cent increase, while East Central ISD proposed a 3.72-cent increase.

Both districts explain that they are lowering the debt service tax rate by nearly the same amount, so the overall tax rate remains effectively unchanged. East Central came back with a smaller proposal this time after a 5-cent VATRE was defeated last November.

Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD has the largest increase at 12 cents. According to district estimates, this will add an average of $216 annually to homes after the homestead exemption.

Why are we seeing so many tax discussions at once? The number of students is declining, state support has been stagnant for years, and costs for goods and labor are rising.

NISD alone reported a budget deficit of $38 million this year. I was surprised to see that number.

If you are a senior homeowner, remember this: If you have applied for the homestead exemption and the 65 and older exemption and were the owner of the home as of January 1, 2026, the district has stated that the school tax will not increase due to the SAISD measures.

Early voting is from October 19 to 30, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. You can find polling locations and times directly on the Bexar County Elections Department website.

Here's the order I plan to check things: confirm which school district I belong to, determine whether the district's measures are VATRE or bonds, and calculate the actual burden based on my home's appraisal value.

I tend to be relatively positive about operating expense measures that directly impact children, like teacher salaries and school safety. If public education falters, families with fewer options will ultimately be affected first.

However, I believe we need to scrutinize bonds more closely. The more specific the proposal is about how the funds will be used, the easier it is for me to vote in favor.

The saying that a single vote carries the most weight in local elections really seems to hold true. I encourage you to check your school district's website this week and make sure to vote.