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On November 3rd, the Franklin Independent School District is asking residents to vote on a Bond Election and a Voter Approved Tax Rate Election. Proposition A is a bond election that is funded by the I&S tax rate. The bond will address the district's needs to provide updates and renovations in areas including school safety, mechanical systems, kitchen equipment, playgrounds, lighting efficiency, parking lots and buses. The district expects to address these needs while lowering the I&S tax rate 14 cents in 2020. Proposition B is a Voter Approved Tax Rate Election (VATRE). A successful VATRE would allow the district to increase the M&O tax rate above its current state compressed M&O rate. The M&O rate would be increased three cents. The three cents would be moved from the interest and sinking or I&S tax rate, which pays for bonds, to the maintenance and operation or M&O tax rate, which pays for operations. The M&O fund mainly pays for staff salaries and benefits. If the penny swap is approved, the district’s “golden pennies” — as the cents not subject to recapture are sometimes called — would increase from 5 cents to 8 cents. These three additional golden pennies would be used to support the proposed salary increase of the district’s teachers and staff. The district’s ability to move these three additional golden pennies from the I&S tax rate to the M&O tax rate and not be subject to recapture came from House Bill 3, the school finance bill from the last legislative session. By lowering the I&S rate by fourteen cents (Proposition A - Bond) and then increasing the M&O rate three cents (Proposition B - VATRE), the overall FISD tax rate would decrease eleven cents. In property rich districts like Franklin ISD, the recapture system in Texas takes a significant portion of our locally generated revenue. Golden pennies as well as Bond pennies are not subject to recapture. Since 2005, Franklin ISD taxpayers have seen over $162 million of our local tax dollars sent to the state in recapture. For Franklin ISD, a successful Bond and Voter Approved Tax Rate Election (VATRE) means the district would continue to be able to operate with tax dollars that are not subject to recapture by the state. If these dollars are not available, the district would have to cut expenditures. Cutting expenses means cutting the number of people who work for the district since personnel is approximately 80 percent of the district’s operating budget. Franklin ISD’s job is not to advocate for people to vote one way or the other, but rather to inform voters about the details of the propositions. One thing FISD wants to make sure people understand is that this is not a tax increase. While the item on Proposition B will be listed on the ballot as an increase in the M&O tax rate, the corresponding decrease in the I&S tax rate will lower the overall FISD tax rate by 11 cents.

Substitute Training Friday, October 16th at the FISD Administration Building Returning Substitutes still needing Safety Training - 8:30 A.M. New Substitutes 9:15 A.M. Any questions please call Rhonda Payne at 979-828-7000

Click to view the Frequently Asked Questions about the Bond form 2020

“Our Children, Our Community, Our Future” Franklin ISD School Board calls Elections for November 3, 2020 BOND ELECTION: I&S (Bond) TAX RATE WILL DECREASE 14 CENTS The Franklin ISD Board re-instated the Order to call a bond election for November 3, 2020 to replace the bond package that was canceled last May due to Covid-19. The 2020 bond package has not changed since May 2020. Bonds are a vital part of how the district structures its budget each year to keep tax dollars in Franklin and prevent the tax rate from increasing. VATRE ELECTION: M&O (Maintenance & Operation) TAX RATE WILL INCREASE 3 CENTS The Board also called a Voter Approved Tax Rate Election (VATRE) asking voters to allow the district to move three of the district’s I&S (bond) pennies over to the M&O (maintenance and operation) side of the tax rate. These three pennies will now be considered Golden pennies and NOT be subject to Recapture under the new school finance law House Bill 3. These three golden pennies will be used to support the proposed 2020-2021 salary increase for the FISD teachers and staff. In the past, this has not been an option for Franklin ISD. FISD OVERALL TAX RATE DECREASES 11 CENTS FOR 2020 More information about the November Bond and VATRE will be released soon.

Franklin ISD added 3 early outs to the 2020-2021 calendar to provide teachers an opportunity for further staff development. These early outs are scheduled on September 16th, 30th and November 4th at 12:30.

ATTENTION ALL PARENTS & GUARDIANS Please follow the link and directions below to prepay for your child's school pictures. Pictures will be taken next Wednesday, September 2, 2020. To prepay online: 1. Go to http://online.phototexasphotography.com 2. Use online order code: PTPUC Select your school

Click to view FISD Operational Plan

Click to see FAQ’s for In-person and Remote Learning.