LACY LAKEVIEW (October 1, 2012)--By a margin of almost 200 votes, residents of the Connally Independent School District rejected a tax ratification proposal on Saturday.

The vote was 52 in favor to 264 against allowing the district to raise its tax rate by 13-cents per $100 property valuation.

The district’s board said the increase was necessary to replace more than $2.7 million in state and federal funds lost over the past five years.

During the same time period, the district has also absorbed the costs of increasing accountability standards and a full day pre-kindergarten program as well as rising fuel and utility costs, according to a statement from the district.

The statement said that since 2008, the Connally ISD has cut 56 teacher and staff positions.

The District has also implemented across-the-board budget cuts, and aggressively pursued cost savings through energy, purchasing, and other services-related contracts, the statement said.

State law requires that all school districts seek voter approval to increase the maintenance and operations tax rate above