Rockwall ISD is once again coming to the voters with hat in hand, this time proposing another Voter-Approval Tax Ratification Election (VATRE). If you’ve listened to their messaging, you’ve heard carefully crafted lines about “funding for children,” “supporting teachers,” and “keeping schools safe.” Their webpage even declares, “Unlike a school bond election, a VATRE does not create new debt for the district.”
What they hope you don’t notice—because it’s buried under emotional appeals and PR spin—is that the VATRE is, in fact, a property tax increase. By their own admission, if voters approve this measure, the tax rate will be set at $1.0669 per $100 valuation, which translates into a four-cent net tax increase. That means more money coming out of your pocket in a time when inflation, grocery bills, and housing costs are already crushing Texas families.
This isn’t about children. It’s about money. And Rockwall ISD is hoping you won’t look too closely.
What Rockwall ISD Doesn’t Want You to Focus On
The district’s page admits the VATRE would generate $16.5 million more in local funding, supposedly earmarked for teacher pay, special education, and security measures. The spin is clever: they frame it as “just” $13 a month for the average household. But what they won’t tell you is that taxes always move one direction—up. This VATRE may be four cents today, but it sets the precedent for more tomorrow.
Let’s be clear: this is not a “cost-saving” measure, despite their claims. It is a transfer of wealth from taxpayers to the district’s administrators, who have a long history of mismanaging resources.
The Emotional Blackmail Campaign
If you’ve lived in Rockwall County for any length of time, you’ve seen this playbook before. School officials and their allies will:
- Claim it’s for the children. Oppose the VATRE? Then you must hate kids. Expect to hear warnings about larger class sizes, fewer extracurriculars, or cuts to beloved programs if this measure fails. They want you to feel responsible for hypothetical suffering.
- Invoke teacher martyrdom. We’ll be told, once again, that teachers are spending out of pocket for classroom supplies. While it is true that many teachers sacrifice for their students, it’s also true that RISD’s administration allocates significant funds to bureaucracy, consultants, and pet projects before putting money where it actually matters—the classroom. Throwing more taxpayer dollars into the same broken system doesn’t solve the problem.
- Raise the safety alarm. In recent years, “safety and security” has become the go-to justification for more spending. But safety has no end point. How much is “enough”? The district has yet to prove that previous funds earmarked for safety have been used effectively.
And when emotional appeals fail? That’s when the shaming begins. Dissenters will be accused of being anti-education, anti-child, or even anti-teacher. They will call you selfish, greedy, or ignorant. This is the district’s last refuge: if persuasion doesn’t work, intimidation might.
The Machine Behind the Messaging
This isn’t just a few parents or administrators asking nicely. Rockwall ISD has quietly activated a network of political action committees (PACs) and advocacy groups to push the VATRE. Teachers are being fed talking points and coached on how to present the measure to their friends, neighbors, and church groups. The teachers’ union is involved too, ensuring the campaign looks like a grassroots movement when, in reality, it is an orchestrated lobbying effort funded by taxpayers’ own money.
Let’s not pretend otherwise: this is propaganda. And it’s designed to manipulate the very people footing the bill.
Who Really Benefits?
The district says this money will go toward “teacher and staff pay, underfunded special education, and safety.” But let’s ask a basic question: why are these essential services always the first to be threatened when districts want more money?
Why not cut bloated administration salaries first? Why not trim back the endless layers of consultants, contractors, and bureaucratic staffers who never step foot in a classroom? Why not prioritize spending for the essentials before asking taxpayers for more?
The answer is simple: threatening “the children” is politically effective. Bureaucrats know that no parent wants to imagine their child losing out on opportunity, so they dangle the worst-case scenario in front of voters to secure more funding.
The Conservative Case Against the VATRE
We believe in strong schools, but strong schools are not the same as ever-growing school budgets. Accountability matters. Stewardship matters. If Rockwall ISD cannot manage its existing funds responsibly, why should voters reward them with more?
Texans are already overtaxed. Property taxes in Rockwall County are among the highest in the state. Families are struggling under skyrocketing appraisals, utility hikes, and inflation. The district’s message—“It’s just $13 a month”—is insulting. For many families, that’s groceries, gas, or part of a prescription co-pay. In a time when every dollar counts, the district wants to take more.
The VATRE is not about helping children. It is about feeding a system that always wants more but refuses to live within its means.
Conclusion: Hold the Line
On Election Day, Rockwall County voters will face a simple choice: approve another tax increase, or demand accountability.
If you oppose the VATRE, you’re not against children. You’re not against teachers. You’re for responsible government. You’re for prioritizing classroom needs over bloated bureaucracy. You’re for families already struggling to stay afloat in a tough economy.
The district will try to make you feel guilty. They will tug at your heartstrings and, if that fails, they will call you names. Don’t fall for it.
The VATRE is a tax increase, plain and simple. Rockwall ISD doesn’t need more of your money. They need to spend what they already have more wisely.