The details
Trustees adopted a rate of $0.004799 per $100 valuation for fiscal year 2024-25 during the board’s Oct. 16 meeting, down from last year’s rate of $0.004800 per $100 valuation.
The HCDE provides educational services supporting an average of 79,000 students each year in 25 school districts across Harris County.
Since 2013, trustees have voted to lower the department’s tax rate by a total of 31%, according to an Oct. 24 news release.
Why it matters
HCDE Superintendent James Colbert Jr. touted the new tax rate.
“HCDE continues to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars for Harris County residents and our business model has allowed us to continue to reduce the tax rate while maximizing services,” Colbert Jr. said in the news release. “This is a demonstration of our dedication to serve at-risk populations and results in a win for students, educators and the entire HCDE community.”
On average, officials said homeowners with a $250,000 home receiving a homestead exemption will pay less than $10 annually in property taxes to the county’s department of education.
However, due to increasing property values within some areas of Harris County, officials noted some homeowners may see an increase in their property taxes owed.
What’s next
Each spring, board trustees propose a tax rate before adopting the rate in the fall. Tax bills are mailed out in October to all district households, officials said in the news release.
