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Each of the ve races is contested, with four of them drawing three can- didates, and incumbents are seeking re-election in four of the ve contests. LISD trustees are elected to four- year terms, and school board elections take place on the November uniform election day in even-numbered years, according to district documents. Traditionally, this would mean four seats—Places 1, 2, 6 and 7—would be up for election in 2022 after Places 3, 4 and 5 appeared on the ballot in 2020. However, the resignation of former Place 5 Trustee Jim MacKay in Septem- ber and the subsequent appointment of Sade Fashokun to the seat means that seat is also up for re-election this year. Fashokun is seeking re-election.
recapture payments back to the state. “[ACE is] an easy yes, and I think everybody in our community should say ‘yes’ to ACE,” Johnson said. “Because of the laws in Texas, we are required to repay the state—that is, we’ve entered into recapture—and the ACE is just asking the community per- mission to formally make that payment back to the state.” Recapture is a function of the amount a public school district receives in tax collections and how much that amount exceeds what the district is entitled to keep based on the number and type of students in the district, former Chief Financial Ocer Elaine Cogburn said in an early July interview. For the rst time in eight years, LISD will have to pay $31.2 million back to the state in recapture funds. This will be the district’s highest pay- ment in history. LISD’s steep recapture payment is due to increased home property val- ues, Cogburn said. Property value growth increased by 27.05% this year. The district will owe recapture pay- ments every year, Director of Budget and Compliance Gina Mitschke said, because property values are continu- ing to rise. If voters approve Proposition A in November, the district will have to make a recapture payment by Aug. 15, 2023, and it will likely be one lump sum payment, Director of Trea- sury and Debt Management Becky Garcia said. In the event the ACE fails, LISD will be subject to a detachment of terri- tory, which means the Texas Educa- tion Agency could take a portion of the district’s property value and give it to another district. TEA would take enough property value from LISD to make it so the
LISD’s longest serving trustee, Aaron Johnson, who was rst elected to the board in 2011, announced in July he would not be seeking re-elec- tion. Johnson said the reason he is not running again is two-fold: he is tired and frustrated. “My passion for the issues is no less than it ever has been,” Johnson said. “But, I’m frustrated with our board members and our community and the diculty many are having in nding common ground. Instead, members of our community are refusing to listen to one another and are trying to rally their base to support their point of view.” In LISD, some of these divisive issues that have come before the board include the multiyear-long
debate over school library and book club books as well as how to handle the district’s nances. And, LISD’s election comes at a time when school board races across the county have become more political and divisive, said Kay Douglas a senior consultant with the Texas Association of School Boards. “What’s best for kids should not be partisan,” Douglas said. “That should not enter into making the very best decisions for all of the kids, for all of the community.” The TASB encourages candidates to run on what they will bring to the table instead of attacking other candidates or district sta, knowing that after the election these groups may have to work together. Additionally, newly elected board members are required to go through a series of trainings on topics such as open government, improving student outcomes and team-building. Susan Elliott, director of curriculum and instructional design with the TASB, said when elections bring several new faces, these trainings are especially important so members understand the role of the board and form a team that can govern together. LISD trustees are elected at-large, meaning each trustee represents the entire district, and all LISD voters will be able to cast a ballot in each race. “If board members can respect one another’s dierences and rise above those dierences to focus on the sub- stance that unites them, then I think they’ll be productive and eective,” Johnson said. Recapture requirements Proposition A—the ACE—on the November election ballot asks voters to authorize the district to begin making
PASS OR FAIL Leander ISD's Proposition A and Proposition B both have nancial implications for the district. This is what would happen if each proposition passes or fails.
ACE PROP A
VATRE PROP B
PASSES
PASSES
• The district will make required recapture payments.
• It will fund the approved compensation plan, including raises of 5% for teachers and 4% for all other employees. • Roughly $32 million in revenue will be accessible to the district.
FAILS
FAILS
• LISD will be subject to a detachment of territory, which means the state would seize a portion of the school district’s property value permanently. • The district would need to raise the interest and sinking tax rate to pay existing debt with a smaller tax base after a portion of territory is detached.
• LISD will face an estimated $35 million budget shortfall. • This shortfall equates to 458 full-time district employees. • To make up for the de cit, LISD would have to reduce budget expenses, including potential positions and academic programs in the coming years.
SOURCE: LEANDER ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT
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COMMUNITY IMPACT • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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