Northwest ISD’s board of trustees approved at its Aug. 26 meeting the district’s fiscal year 2019-20 tax rate. The board approved a total rate of $1.42 per $100 valuation. Of that rate, $0.97 will be used for maintenance and operations of the district, and $0.45 will be used for debt payments. The new rate is lower than the district’s FY 2018-19 tax rate of $1.49. The lower rate is due to House Bill 3, which requires the maintenance and operations portion of school districts’ tax rates be compressed to $0.97. Previously, NISD’s maintenance and operations tax rate was $1.04. NISD’s board approved the district’s FY 2019-20 budget at its June 24 meeting. At the time, the district forecasted it would earn roughly $310.83 million in revenue during the upcoming fiscal year and have about $547.02 million in expenditures. NISD officials attributed the gap between the district’s revenue and expenditures to its rapid growth and building and updating facilities to accommodate that growth. During the 2019-20 school year, the district expects to add 992 students. To make up the difference between its budgeted revenue and expenditures, NISD could dip into its reserve funds. At the end of the 2019-20 fiscal year, the district is forecasted to have roughly $106.3 million in reserves. The district also has $199 million in authorized but unissued bonds for capital projects. At the board’s June 24 meeting, NISD Superintendent Ryder Warren said the budget, including revenue and expenditures, will continue to be amended throughout the school year as the district better understands the impacts of HB 3.