If residents vote decide to adopt the new tax rate after tomorrow, it wouldn't just mean more local money, but also more state money that would pull Coleman ISD out of a serious budget deficit.

The deficit in Coleman ISD is nothing new for school and district officials.

"We really started feeling the pinch about three years ago when the legislature passed it's latest final bill in 2006," said superintendent of Coleman ISD Royce Young.

But the $380,000 budget deficit is getting too much for Coleman ISD officials to handle.

"It's just been difficult to make ends meet with the maintenance and operations tax," according to Young.

If Coleman residents decide against adopting the new tax rate, some changes will need to be made.

"Without the money we'd have to look at programs we'd have to cancel," said principal at Coleman High School Richard Holloway.

"We'd finish off the school year dipping into reserves if it didn't pass," said Young, "but for the foreseeable future then we'd have to make some cuts beginning next school year."

If residents vote "yes" on the new tax rate for the district, that would mean about a $5.00 tax hike for homeowners, it would generate about $137,000 in local revenue. The district would also qualify for $450,000 from the state, which would pull Coleman ISD out of a deficit.

The additional funds could provide money for existing programs, like the one-to-one initiative at Coleman High School, which will need local funding after this year.

"That would be programs we'd have to look at, and say 'okay what programs can we no longer put with our one to one computers,'" said Holloway, "and for our kids that would be devastating."

Officials tell us some of the other cuts that would be considered if residents decide not to adopt the new tax rate include after school activities and also personnel cuts.