Voters approve Prop A election to lower class sizes

According to preliminary election results, Northwest ISD voters have approved the school district’s operations funding ballot measure, which will lead to decreased class sizes and increased compensation.

Preliminary results indicate 11,636 voters, or 51.87%, cast ballots in favor of Proposition A, which is projected to generate $12 million in new operations funding. Northwest ISD plans to use $8 million of this funding on class sizes and student programs, while the remaining $4 million will be used to provide teacher and staff raises.

Based on feedback from families and staff throughout the school year, Northwest ISD plans to implement the following next steps:

• Hiring for High-Need Campus Positions: Because most teachers are under contract for the 2025-2026 school year, the district will focus on hiring for high-need areas for the current school year. Several special population teaching positions will be posted in the coming weeks.
• Planning for Reduced Class Sizes in 2026-2027: In the coming school year budget cycle, Northwest ISD will implement reduced class sizes. The district will post new jobs beginning in the spring for the upcoming school year.
• Planning for Staff Raises in 2026-2027: With $4 million set aside for compensation, Northwest ISD will remain committed to an annual staff raise, as it has for more than a decade. The district is working with its demographer to project enrollment and determine pay raises.
• Exploring Custodial Adjustments: Based on feedback from community meetings with families and staff, Northwest ISD will immediately begin analyzing costs to explore some custodial service adjustments. Any potential adjustments made during the current school year will be carefully balanced to ensure their costs can be maintained in the upcoming school year. Additional details about any changes will be shared as they are available.

Dr. Mark Foust, superintendent of schools, thanked the Northwest ISD community for its support of students, teachers and schools.

“We are incredibly appreciative to have a community in Northwest ISD that values high-quality education by supporting our students and teachers,” he said. “This new funding will support our schools while ensuring Northwest ISD retains one of the lowest tax rates in the area.”

Of school districts with taxes collected by Denton County, Northwest ISD will maintain the second-lowest total tax rate at $1.0841 per $100 of taxable property value. This represents a decrease from the 2024 tax rate of $1.0879 per $100 of taxable property value. Combined with the expected voter approval to increase the homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000, most homeowners in Northwest ISD are expected to pay less in school taxes in 2025 compared to 2024.