BEAUMONT, Texas — Beaumont ISD is celebrating a successful tax election however, it's a different story for Kirbyville ISD where they plan to go back to the drawing board.
"I am so excited that our community chose our students through passing Proposition A," said Beaumont ISD Superintendent Dr. Shannon Allen.
Dr. Allen says Proposition A, also known as VATRE, is a huge investment for the community, and it will put $13M back into the district.
"We will invest an additional 3% in compensation for our staff for a total of 5%. We will also have the resources available to continue to implement required security enhancements, so that we will have armed security at every single campus," said Dr. Allen.
Proposition A passed for BISD 55% to 44%.
"We haven't received additional revenue from the state since 2019, which has made it so challenged to invest in your employees," said Dr. Allen.
12News spoke to an association that supports districts across the state. They say it's a common way for districts to find a workaround for more money.
"Every year we have voter approval tax rate elections, and I'm looking at a chart tracking it from 2020-2023 last years 85 percent of voter approval tax elections passed," said Brownsen.
However, in Kirbyville voters responded to the proposition with a resounding 'no'. Failing to pass 79% to 21%.
"I think that there were some voters that didn't really know what this was about. There was a lot of anti-tax sentiment," said Kirbyville Superintendent Stephen Edwards.
Edwards says that the proposition would have added at least $830K to the districts budget.
That money would have gone to towards raises and campus renovations.
"We have money in the bank to cover the deficit for this year, but we can't continue to keep doing that," said Edwards.
He's now hoping there will be a bigger push towards state funding.
"They have about $60 billion that they are sitting on from last session," said Edwards.
Edwards says that if he could do things differently he would try more creative ways to inform voters.
Dr. Allen says the new raises will start next month.