Sealy ISD Board of Trustees Call for November Prop A Election
Sealy, Texas — The Sealy Independent School District Board of Trustees unanimously approved calling a Tax Ratification Election (TRE), or what we will refer to as Proposition A, for the November 4 ballot.
“I want to thank our board of trustees and staff for all their cooperation and input as we look to maximize state funding,” Superintendent Dr. Bryan Hallmark said. “We remain dedicated to our mission for inspiring our learners to create their future.”
The State of Texas has provided very little additional funding for school districts - even with inflation at record highs - since 2019. This puts constraints on the district’s buying power to continue providing a high-functioning learning environment in Sealy ISD.
Proposition A will ask voters to approve or disapprove the tax rate adopted by the Board of Trustees. If passed, it will allow the district to access the maximum amount of revenue from three golden pennies, which is not subject to recapture and will remain in the district.
The board decided to focus on funding three major areas, including:
Teachers have a choice where they live and work. The Houston area is a highly competitive region for experienced educators and new teachers. Prop A would help Sealy ISD maintain competitive compensation in the region to put it in a position to retain and recruit highly-qualified teachers and staff.
Proposition A also helps the district maintain student programs and extracurricular activities, such as fine arts, career and technical education, and athletics. A portion of the proposition would also help address outdated maintenance and repairs in the district. If Prop A is approved by voters, these would be finalized in the 2025-26 school year, and then additional revenue would be allocated for future teacher and staff compensation and student programs.
If Prop A is passed by voters, the recently approved district tax rate for homeowners in Sealy ISD will result in a monthly increase of $4.38 on the average home value of $350,000.
Proposition A will generate an additional $672,177, of local tax revenue. However, the biggest revenue increase comes from the state as Prop A will also require the state to kick in an additional $1,011,118 to Sealy ISD, for a total of nearly $1.7 million in additional revenue annually. Right now we are leaving this state revenue on the table.
Without additional funding this year, the district would need to consider reducing teacher and staff positions and student programs. The second option would be cutting the local 10% optional homestead exemption for homeowners in Sealy ISD in future tax years. In 2020, the District reduced the optional homestead exemption from 20% to 10%. Under current law, the District could reduce or repeal the optional homestead exemption again in 2027. Doing so would give back the district approximately $655,000 annually in new revenue and would not require voter approval.
“We will be reaching out to all registered voters in the district,” Hallmark said. “The district has a responsibility to make sure our voters have the factual information about Prop A so they can make an informed decision at the polls.”
To register to vote or to find out your registration status, call the Austin County Elections Department at (979) 865-8633 or visit their website at austincounty.com/page/austin.elections. The last day to register to vote in the November 2025 election is Monday, October 6.
Early voting begins October 20 and ends October 31, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4.