On Tuesday, voters in the Canyon Independent School District said no to a proposed tax rate increase. The measure was rejected by 20,076 voters (58.54%) and approved by 14,220 voters (41.46%).
In a statement, CISD Superintendent Darryl Flusche expressed gratitude to voters.
“While we’re disappointed with the outcome, our commitment to serving the community and providing a high-quality education remains strong,” Flusche said. “We’ll continue to focus on meeting the needs of our growing district and empowering students for success.”
The proposal would have raised the district's tax rate by $0.03, from $0.93 to $0.9577 per $100 of taxable value. The additional funds were intended to support student programs, including the addition of more armed officers, with at least one School Resource Officer (SRO) at every CISD campus.
With an average taxable home value of $204,130, the increase would have cost CISD homeowners an average of $56.54 annually. The funds would have generated an estimated $2.93 million for the district.
“I’m disappointed the three-cent levy didn’t pass, but we’ll keep moving forward,” said CISD Board President Jenni Winegarner. “Our focus is on educating students and providing the best opportunities within our current resources.”
CISD is facing a $5.6 million budget deficit for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
“We’ll continue to manage our budget carefully and look for other solutions, but the voters have spoken,” Winegarner added. “Now we’ll turn our attention to the next steps.”