During a July 15 board meeting, Ed Ramos, the district's chief operations officer, said now that the Texas legislative session is over, the district has a clearer understanding of its numbers.
Also discussed July 15 was the proposed PfISD 2021-22 tax rate of $1.4223 per $100 of valuation, which is the same as it was for 2020-21.
However, Ramos said staff is estimating a $1.3716 tax rate once maximum compressed tax rate figures, or MCRs, from the Texas Education Agency are sent to PfISD.
According to information from the TEA, MCR is a figure necessitated by the Texas Legislature through House Bill 3 and applies to school districts' maintenance and operations portions of their tax rates. Because the MCR could have an impact of the district's property valuations, Ramos said PfISD could be looking at a lower rate.
"That would be the lowest tax rate in the past 21 years in PfISD history," Ramos said of the estimated $1.3716 figure.
Also of note, based on projections of a successful tax ratification election planned for November, the district is looking at an extra $6.6 million, Ramos said. He added more information about the tax ratification election will be forthcoming soon.
"We knew we were going to face some financial challenges, so we took steps in the district," Ramos said.
Those measures included $2 million in reductions of the department budget and almost $7 million in staff reductions.
Due to the planned cost-saving measures, Ramos said there should be a significantly smaller loss for the district in the coming school year.
PfISD will receive certified taxable values from the Travis Central Appraisal District on July 25, and the district will call a meeting to consider adopting the tax rate, the budget and call the tax ratification election Aug. 12.
