The La Vega Independent School District is raising the tax rate for 2010-11, but it will be cut in half immediately and won’t affect voters’ tax bills.

In a landslide, voters supported the “tax swap” 225-49 in the election held Saturday.

“We’re very excited and ecstatic that the vote turned out this way, and we’ll go to work making things happen,” La Vega ISD Assistant Superintendent of Finance Charles Langlotz said.

The district’s tax rate will already rise 13 cents, from $1.23 to $1.36 per $100 home valuation, to pay on debts from a 2009 bond issue.

In Saturday’s election, the school board asked voters for an additional 13-cent increase.

The key is that the second 13-cent rise will be applied to the part of the tax that pays for operations. The other part — which pays off district debts — will then be reduced by 13 cents.

Even though the total tax remains the same, La Vega schools still get credit for winning a rate hike from voters — which in turn wins them an additional $1.8 million from the state.

cquackenbush@ wacotrib.com

757-5745

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