VATRE QUESTION OF THE DAY
📢 How Will Vega ISD Use VATRE Funding?
If the VATRE is approved, the additional funding will go directly toward maintaining and improving **Vega ISD's maintenance and operations**. This includes areas such as:
🎓 Educational Programs – Supporting and enhancing programs that benefit our students' learning experience.
👩🏫 Faculty and Staffing – Ensuring we retain quality teachers and staff who play a vital role in our students’ success and keeping our class sizes small.
Every penny will be used to help us continue providing the best for our students and staff. 💛🖤 #VegaISD #VATRE
Free and reduced meal eligibility from the last school year has expired. To ensure continued benefits, please make sure to submit a new application for the 2024-25 school year if one has not already been completed.
Applications can be found on the Vega ISD website under the CAFETERIA menu.
VATRE QUESTION OF THE DAY
💡 How is Vega ISD Addressing Increased Costs?
In response to rising expenses, Vega ISD has taken significant steps to manage our budget while still prioritizing students. Over the past several years, we’ve reduced the number of positions that directly and indirectly support students to help lower operating costs.
✅ Despite these reductions, class sizes have remained small, and we’ve minimized impacts to staffing and educational programs. The District continues to carefully evaluate all options to ensure we are meeting the needs of our students while managing our financial challenges.
Stay informed and continue to follow for more updates on the VATRE. 💛🖤 #VegaISD #VATRE
Over the next 34 days until Election Day, Vega ISD will be sharing a series of FAQs to help our community understand what VATRE is and why Vega ISD called for this important election.
What is a VATRE? A VATRE (Voter-Approved Tax Ratification Election) allows a school district to adjust its tax rate by adding additional pennies to generate more revenue for vital maintenance and operations. As the name suggests, this can only be approved by voters in the district.
Vega ISD has called for a VATRE to help combat budget shortfalls caused by inflation and the state’s compression of the tax rate. Rising costs for utilities, insurance, and fuel have outpaced our savings efforts. Here's a look at the impact since 2018-2019:
📈 Electricity: Up 42% (over $33,300)
📈 Natural Gas: Up 73% (over $14,800)
📈 Fuel: Up 167% (over $24,600)
📈 Insurance: Up 130% (over $118,000)
Stay tuned for more information as we move toward election day. 💛🖤 #VATRE #VegaISD #SupportOurSchools #CommunityFirst
Thinking about buying a gun? Keep guns out of the wrong hands by making safe storage part of your purchase! There are safe storage options to fit every budget. Find out more at SafeGunStorageTexas.com.
#keepemsafetexas #safegunstorage #texasparents
🏀 **Lady Longhorns Shoot-a-Thon!** 🏀 As the Lady Longhorns gear up for an exciting basketball season, you can show your support by pledging to donate for each free throw made on **October 9**. Choose to support your favorite **JH Lady Shorthorn**, **HS Lady Longhorn**, or both! All proceeds will help fund the **2024-2025 basketball season** Every shot makes a difference! 💛🖤 Donate today and help our teams hit the court strong! JH Lady Longhorn Shoot-a-thon >> https://bit.ly/VegaJHLadyHornsShoot-a-thon HS Lady Longhorn Shoot-a-thon >> https://bit.ly/VegaHSLadyLonghornShoot-A-Thon
Join us for Donuts with Dad!!!
📣 October is Fentanyl Awareness Month in Texas!
Join us in raising awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and its impact on our communities. Throughout this month, we'll share information and resources to help educate and prevent overdoses.
🔹 What You Can Do:
Educate Yourself: Learn about the signs of fentanyl exposure and overdose.
Spread the Word: Share information on social media to raise awareness.
Together, we can make a difference. Let’s save lives! 💙 #FentanylAwarenessMonth #TexasTogether
Vega JH White, Gold and Black team results from tonight's games.
5th Grade completed their book study on Beauty by Bill Wallace. Today, they got a visit from Mrs. Craeghs's horse, Bullet. Thank you for taking the time to bring him to school.
📢 ATTENTION VEGA ISD COMMUNITY 📢
Join us for a PUBLIC MEETING on the upcoming **VATRE (Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election)**
🗓 Monday, October 7th
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 Vega ISD Auditorium
This is your chance to learn how VATRE affects our school, ask questions, and have your voice heard! 🗣️
Let's come together for our students, teachers, and community! 💛🖤 #VegaISD #LonghornPride #VATRE #CommunityFirst
Reminder: Don't Forget to RSVP!
If you're a first responder, we’d love to have you at our First Responders Appreciation Meal on October 21st at 6:00 p.m. in the High School Commons Area.
Please RSVP by October 1st by emailing gdukes@vegalonghorn.net or calling the high school office.
We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
If you are coming to the blackout pep rally today at 3:14 p.m., please enter through the auditorium doors.
We are currently experiencing issues with phone service. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you need assistance, please email the campus secretaries. Thank you for your understanding.
🖤🎉 Tomorrow is our Black Out Pep Rally! 🎉🖤
Make sure to stop by the Longhorn Spirit Store in the morning to grab your game day spirit items! 💛🖤
Glow bracelets and necklaces will be available for purchase—let’s light it up Longhorns! ✨ #BlackOutPepRally #LonghornPride #GameDayReady #GlowUp
🌟 See You at the Pole 🌟
Today, our students came together in unity, lifting up prayers and showing support for one another. 🙏💛🖤 We are so proud of the faith and leadership our Longhorns demonstrate!
Many thanks to the area churches for providing a warm smile while serving donuts, milk and juice for our students.
#SYATP #VegaStrong #LonghornPride #FaithInAction #UnityAtThePole
Thanks to the internet - social media, online gaming, chat rooms, etc. - our children are often being groomed and exploited right under our noses. Reports of online enticement increased more than 300% from 2021 to 2023. Online enticement is a broad category that includes sextortion, in which a child is groomed or coerced to take sexually explicit images or even meet face-to-face with a perpetrator for sexual purposes. In recent reports of financial sextortion, boys are most often the targets. Once the targeted boy sends what the supposed female has asked for, the perpetrator will demand money or threaten to leak the images. These scenarios happen quickly and in some cases have tragic outcomes with children taking their own lives. The technology is constantly evolving with alarming increases in generative AI to create deep fake sexually explicit images or videos based on any photograph of a real child. WE have to do better at educating ourselves and our children about these dangers - and how to get help.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has resources available for parents to educate children.
Calling All Oldham County First Responders!
We are honored to invite you to our Annual First Responders Appreciation Meal on October 21st at 6:00 p.m., hosted in the High School Commons Area.
This special event is proudly organized by Vega High School FCCLA, FFA, Band, NHS, & STUCO as a token of our deep appreciation for your service and dedication to our community.
Please RSVP by October 1st by emailing gdukes@vegalonghorn.net or calling the high school office to help us prepare.
We look forward to celebrating with you!
🖤💛Vega JH teams both get a win tonight! Way to work!!🏐
See You at the Pole This Week!
📅 Wednesday, September 25th
Grades PreK-6: 7:30 a.m.
Grades 7-12: 8:40 a.m.
Join us for a morning of student-led prayer as we come together in faith. 🙏
