Posted 9:20 p.m., Nov. 3
Voters within the Bastrop Independent School District are deciding whether to approve a 1.3-cent tax rate increase for Fiscal Year 2026-27.
With five of 15 precincts reporting, unofficial voting results show 66% of voters reject Proposition A, which calls for a 1.3-cent tax rate increase.
What you need to know
If approved, Bastrop ISD CFO Mike White said the increase would generate about $6 million annually for the district, including $2.4 million from local tax collections and $3.6 million in additional state funding.
He explained that the district is already “running pretty lean” as department heads were directed to cut 15% of their spending during the budget process.
“Like everyone, we have more needs than we have resources,” he said.
White said revenue generated from a tax-rate increase could be used to pay the projected shortfall, improve staff compensation and retention, add campus officers, and maximize school funding under the current state formula.
By the numbers
Bastrop ISD’s M&O tax rate was $0.6669 per $100 valuation in 2025-26.
For 2026-27, White said the rate would be:
For a home with $300,000 in taxable value, that would look like:
Homeowners ages 65 and older with a homestead exemption would be protected from the increase.
Zooming out
As previously reported, 27,632 in-person ballots were cast in Bastrop County during the early voting period from Oct. 19-30, representing 42.2% of the county’s registered voters, according to the Bastrop County data.
Voting totals from Election Day have not yet been released, as polls were open until 7 p.m., or until those in line cast their votes.
What’s next?
Community Impact will update this article as more totals are released. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
Visit https://communityimpact.com/voter-guide to see results from all contested local and state elections impacting Bastrop-Cedar Creek.
