BRENHAM ISD TAX RATE & BOND PROPOSITIONS PASS
Voters in Brenham ISD have passed two voter propositions aiming to increase employee pay and upgrade district facilities.
Measure A, the Voter Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE), was approved with 3,034 votes in favor compared to 2,657 votes against. The measure will raise the property tax rate by approximately 3 cents in order to bring in an estimated $2.45 million in extra maintenance and operations (M&O) funding. The funds, which are not subject to state recapture, will be dedicated to teacher and staff compensation, stipends, classroom resources and student programs.
Proposition A, the $39 million bond issue, passed with 3,267 yes votes over 2,431 no votes. The bond will address capital improvement projects across the district that were deemed a priority by the district’s strategic planning committee. The projects include improvements to HVAC, plumbing, roofing and electrical.
In a release, Brenham ISD thanked all those who participated in the election, whether by voting, asking questions, sharing factual information or engaging in the public forums, facility tours, data analysis and community dialogue. The district said, “This moment is a testament to what’s possible when a proud community comes together in support of its schools.”
Superintendent Clay Gillentine said, “This vote is a powerful reflection of what makes Brenham special — the willingness to come together for something bigger than ourselves.”
Gillentine added, “The work isn’t done — in fact, this is just the beginning. We are committed to keeping the community informed as projects unfold, and our Strategic Planning Committee will continue its efforts to guide future needs.”
Brenham ISD said it remains committed to open communication and transparency as projects begin. It said the strategic planning committee will now turn its attention toward long-term planning for Brenham Junior High School and Career and Technical Education.
Katie Burch, one of the members of the committee, said those meetings to discuss the future will begin very soon, but now is a time to be grateful to the community for giving the district this opportunity.
Unofficially, according to information from Elections Administrator Carol Jackson, a total of 6,409 Washington County voters cast ballots in the election, including 4,066 during early voting, 2,304 on Election Day and 39 absentee. There are 25,698 registered voters in the county.
Contest totals for the Brenham ISD elections show 5,811 ballots were cast on the Brenham ISD proposals, out of 22,660 registered Brenham ISD voters. That includes 3,748 early voters, 2027 voters on Election Day and 36 absentee.
Results are unofficial until they are canvassed.