Cedar Hill ISD voters this week approved a new tax rate that will go toward school safety and retaining staff.
The Voter Approved Tax Rate Election passed with more than 67% of the vote, according to unofficial election results. The district says the new tax rate will generate about $6.8 million annually for school safety and staff retention retaining staff.
With tonight’s election results, our young people are truly the big winners," Cedar Hill Superintendent Gerald Hudson said in a statement. "By voting 'for' in this election, you showed your support for our learners, teachers and education in Cedar Hill.”
The new tax rate is $1.1326 per $100 of taxable property value — which according to District officials will save Cedar Hill homeowners at least $69 per month because of tax compression and the tax cuts under Proposition 4, which passed overwhelmingly on election night.
The revenue will be split into three priorities for the school district: school safety and recruiting and retaining staff. About $623,200 will go to hiring nine additional security officers so Cedar Hill ISD can comply with a new Texas law that requires armed officers on every public school campus.
The rest of the money will go to maintaining existing staff and recruiting new staff. The revenue will support salary increases already included in this year’s budget, and provide one-time mid-year stipends.
Cedar Hill's starting teacher salary is $57,000, lower than its neighboring school districts in southwestern Dallas County — DeSoto, Duncanville, and Lancaster.
“If we want our district to grow academically, we need the best and brightest educators in our schools,” Superintendent Hudson said in the statement.
Cedar Hill ISD tried unsuccessfully to pass similar tax rates in 2018 and 2022.
Juan Salinas II is a KERA news intern. Got a tip? Email Juan at jsalinas@kera.org. You can follow Juan on X @4nsmiley