Dear HCISD Family,

Our school district continues to experience growth in enrollment and academic achievement. For that reason, Harlingen CISD must position itself to remain the district of choice with world-class facilities. Our district adopted the strategic plan, Transforming Learning for Global Achievement, in the spring of 2014, which included the participation of over 800 school community members and set the course of action for our district for the next five years. As we approach our second year of implementation and have recently refinanced our bonds successfully, we now extend our opportunity to strategically plan for HCISD’s future financial needs.

In response, voters will have the opportunity on September 12, 2015 to vote in a Tax Ratification Election or TRE, which was approved by the Harlingen CISD Board of Trustees during their regular board meeting held on July 14th. Voter approval of the TRE will generate approximately $5.8 million in state funds and another $4.2 million in local funds, bringing the total to $10 million annually to address replacements and upgrades at our campuses and facilities.

A TRE is a proactive approach that, with voter approval, will allow Harlingen CISD to access the maximum amount of state funds.  If the TRE passes, the District will be able to focus the additional funding on replacement and upgrades of our facilities and equipment without incurring long-term debt. We have identified many areas of need across our district, and expect that the additional funding that would result from the passage of the TRE will have a positive district-wide impact.

At Harlingen CISD we are fortunate to have board members, staff, and community members actively involved in all of our efforts to position HCISD favorably in its mission to provide educational excellence. We view the upcoming TRE as an opportunity for our school community to give us their input, by voting for or against the tax rate adopted by the Board.  From August 26th to September 8th our community will have the opportunity to participate in the early voting process, and regular Election Day voting will take place on September 12th.

Additional presentations and times are forthcoming. For a complete list of needs, impact to homeowners, and for more information, please see the TRE page.

On behalf of HCISD, I thank you for your continued support in creating a world-class system for our students and I encourage you to go out and vote!

Respectfully,

Art Cavazos, Ed.D.
HCISD Superintendent of Schools