Liberty Hill ISD Prop A
Frequently Asked Questions

About Prop A

    • Proposition A (Prop A) is a Voter-Approved Tax Ratification Election (VATRE) scheduled for November 4, 2025. If approved, it would generate approximately $10 million for the 25/26 school year, which would go toward the district’s Maintenance & Operations (M&O) budget. These funds may be used for day-to-day operations, such as teacher and staff salaries, student programming, classroom support, and safety measures.

    • For a median-valued home in Liberty Hill ISD (estimated $516,513 for 2025, after a $140,000 homestead exemption), Prop A would add about $1 per day, or $29 per month, in school taxes.

    • No. Bonds use the Interest & Sinking (I&S) budget to pay for buildings, major maintenance, and land. Prop A impacts the Maintenance & Operations (M&O) budget, which covers operating costs, such as salaries, utilities, and classroom programs.

Where the Money Would Go

  • The funds would be divided into three main areas:

    Restore student programs - Up to $7.2 million

    • Hire teaching positions that were impacted by cuts in areas such as Gifted & Talented (GT), ESL, STEM, Library, and Behavior support

    • Reduce class sizes by restoring planning time at middle and high schools

    • Add back campus and department budgets that were cut

    Fund school safety and security - Up to $1.3 million

    • Maintain a School Resource Officer (SRO) on every campus, as required by state law

    • Fund panic alert technology and student device monitoring

    • Strengthen cybersecurity protections for district systems

    Recruit and retain high-quality staff - Up to $2.2 million

    • Provide a 1% raise at the midpoint for all staff not covered by House Bill 2 (HB2)

    • Offer a one-time retention stipend for staff employed by October 1, 2025

    • Fund approximately 25 additional operations staff, including bus drivers, custodians, maintenance, and monitors

    (These numbers are estimates)

District Finances

    • Since 2019, costs such as insurance, fuel, and utilities have increased more than 21%, while the state’s basic allotment has increased less than 1%. This mismatch has created recurring deficits.

    • The state recommends districts keep three months of operating expenses in reserve (approximately $25 million for LHISD). As of September 2025, the district’s fund balance is about $13 million—roughly half of the recommended level.

    • Texas uses a “funding cup” model. Local property taxes from both homeowners and businesses fill the cup first. The state then adds money until the set per-student funding level is reached. Additional local tax revenue reduces the state’s share, but it does not increase the size of the cup.

    • The state allocated new funds in 2025, but most were earmarked for specific requirements such as HB2 teacher raises and CTE programs. Most of the funds earmarked still fall short of fully funding the cost of required programs or offsetting the increased inflationary costs for insurance or utilities. For LHISD, these funds did not fully cover rising costs, leaving shortfalls. 

    • Land sales would provide a one-time source of money. Prop A would provide recurring revenue for annual operations. Land in growing areas must also be retained for future schools.

    • If approved, Prop A would assist in covering recurring operating costs, which would allow the district to begin rebuilding its reserves over time.

Pass Vs. Fail

    • Funds would be allocated to restore student programs and staffing, meet safety requirements, and provide employee stipends and raises.

  • The district projects that at least $4 million in additional cuts would be required in Spring 2026. Options under consideration include:

    • Not opening Legacy Ranch Middle School

    • Not opening Elementary #8 in the Lariat subdivision

    • Reducing transportation routes

    • Increasing class sizes

    • Sharing campus staff such as SROs, nurses, and counselors

    • Charging higher facility rental fees

    • Requiring students to pay to participate in extracurricular activities

Staffing and Pay

    • Teachers received 7-10% raises under HB2 in 2025. Prop A would fund a 1% raise for employees not covered under HB2 and provide a one-time stipend for eligible staff.

    • Approximately 35 teaching positions to restore programs and reduce class sizes

    • Approximately 25 operations staff (bus drivers, custodians, maintenance, monitors) to support day-to-day operations

    (These numbers are estimates)

Voting FAQs

Tax FAQs

  • Public school taxes involve two figures which divide the school district’s budget into two “buckets.”

    • The first is the Maintenance & Operations (M&O) budget, also known as the General Fund. This is used to pay for the day-to-day operations of a district and includes items such as salaries, utilities, food, gas, supplies, etc.

    • The second is the Interest & Sinking (I&S) budget or Debt Service. This fund is used to repay debt for capital improvements approved by voters through bond elections. This fund is similar to a mortgage or home improvement loan.

    By law, I&S funds cannot be used for the M&O budget, which means voter-approved bonds cannot be used to increase salaries or to pay for rising costs of utilities or services.

    For a detailed breakdown, please visit the LHISD Budget Basics webpage here.

  • Property owners may qualify for a general residence homestead exemption, for the applicable portion of that tax year, immediately upon owning and occupying the property as their principal residence, if the preceding owner did not receive the exemption that tax year.

    Requirements are a Texas issued Driver License or Identification card showing your current physical address.

    Exemptions:

    • General Residence Homestead Exemption

    • Over 65 Exemption

    • 100% Disabled Veteran Exemption

    • Disabled Persons Exemption

    To learn more about homestead exemption in Williamson County, visit their exemption webpage.

  • Homeowners 65 years of age and older will see no increase in their tax rate as long as they have filed for their senior citizen homestead exemption.

    • Learn more about Williamson County homestead exemptions on their exemptions webpage here.

Other Questions

    • No, and the district has not spent $3M on this software in the past.

  • The academic calendar is developed annually with staff, parent, and community input. Feedback for the 2026–27 calendar will be gathered in the fall semester, and the Board of Trustees will approve a final version in February 2026.