Frenship ISD voters to consider property tax increase, $200M in bonds

WOLFFORTH — Voters in Frenship Independent School District will decide in November whether the district can raise property taxes to avoid a budget deficit and issue millions of dollars in bonds to build new schools and purchase upgraded technology.

The Frenship ISD school board on Monday unanimously adopted a proposed $127.69 million budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year. The budget is balanced and includes a 5% average salary increase for teachers and staff, district officials said.

The budget relies on a property tax rate higher than the threshold for which an election is required under state law. The board also approved a resolution calling a voter-approval tax rate election, or VATRE, to fund the budget.

The district is proposing a tax rate of $1.1567 per $100 in property valuation, which is lower than last year's tax rate but will amount to a tax increase of about 11% for most property owners. It will generate about $5.3 million more in revenue for the district.

“I am proud of this district and the business office team for being fiscally responsible and good stewards of the taxpayers’ money. We’re the largest district in Lubbock County that did not adopt a deficit budget,” board President Brad Draper said in a statement. “Balancing the budget is harder than ever. We are opening new schools and state funding hasn’t increased since 2019.”

Frenship voters will also see two bond initiatives on the November ballot after the school board approved the election Monday.

The school board is seeking approval for a $189.5 million bond package to build two new elementary schools and provide security enhancements and renovations for existing campuses. A separate $10 million package would be used to purchase new classroom technology.

"As a fast-growth district, Frenship welcomes hundreds of new students each school year and currently serves more than 11,600 students across 16 campuses in the Wolfforth and Lubbock communities," a news release from the district reads. "According to demographic studies and new housing developments within the district, Frenship will need two additional elementary schools to accommodate the future growth over the next few years."

The technology bond would be repaid over five years, the district said, due to the short lifespan of electronic devices.

"This technology bond would allow the district to maintain a 1:1 technology for both students and staff by purchasing additional technology devices and replacing older devices," the news release reads.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Frenship ISD voters to consider property tax increase, $200M in bonds