The gist
The tax rate was adopted Sept. 22 and includes $0.7552 for maintenance and operations and $0.35 for interest and sinking. The average homeowner will see a decrease of approximately $360 in their total tax bill.
Maintenance and operations taxes fund daily operations such as teacher salaries, supplies and extracurriculars. These taxes are subject to recapture, which allows the state to remove local property tax revenue and reallocate the funds.
Interest and sinking taxes are used to pay for bond debt and are not subject to recapture. Voter-approved bonds pay for district improvements, including school renovations and building new schools.
The DSISD interest and sinking tax rate has been $0.35 since 2016.
A closer look
Texas voters will decide whether to raise the homestead exemption for a main residence from $100,000 to $140,000 in the November election. The exemption will only apply to property taxes levied by school districts.
The maintenance and operations tax rate was calculated based on the $140,000 homestead exemption. If passed, the exemption will decrease the overall tax bill for the average homeowner, despite the tax rate remaining the same from FY 2024-25.
What they’re saying
“I think [the] I&S rate will be our biggest challenge as we move forward,” trustee Rob McClelland said. “Because we’re not done building. People are still moving here.”
