Early voting has ended for Port Arthur Independent School District’s tax ratification election (TRE). Early voting began July 19 and ended Tuesday.

As of Monday, there were 725 votes cast during early voting, according to the county. In early voting for the 2012 TRE, 1,381 people had cast a ballot. By the end of the election, there were a total of 2,570 votes. In 2012, 2,021 people voted against the tax rate increase while 530 had voted for it.

This year’s TRE, like the one conducted five years ago, asks voters to approve a 13-cent increase in the district’s Maintenance and Operations (M&O) tax rate.

The current rate is $1.04; the proposed rate is $1.17. The proposed increase would generate an estimated $5.9 million in local and state revenue at current appraised values.

The ballot will ask for an approval of a total rate, not just the M&O rate. Per PAISD’s promise to keep the Interest and Sinking (I&S) rate below 32 cents—the current I&S rate is $0.3135—the total tax rate will be $1.48 per $100 property valuation.

Election day is Saturday.

Polling locations are as follows (all locations are in Port Arthur):

• Willie Ryman III Community Center, 3248 39^th St.
• Jefferson County Sub-Courthouse, 525 Lakeshore Drive
• Memorial 9^th Grade Academy, 2441 61^st St.
• O.W. Collins Retirement Center, 4440 Gulfway Drive
• Port Arthur Public Library, 4615 9^th Ave.
• Port Arthur Recreation Center, 1308 9^th Ave.