The Austin Community College board of trustees held a public hearing July 16 regarding the potential annexation of Pflugerville ISD into ACC's taxing district.
The board could consider placing the annexation item on the Nov. 3 ballot at its August meeting. If approved, the annexation would allow residents living within PfISD's boundaries to qualify for ACC's in-district tuition rates and other opportunities.
What's happening?
In June, the ACC board of trustees unanimously accepted a petition from Pflugerville residents with 5,483 signatures seeking to place the annexation item on the November ballot.
Per a news release, residents would qualify for ACC's in-district tuition and fee rate of $85 per credit hour if annexation is approved. Students who live outside the ACC District currently pay $286 per credit hour which includes a $201 out-of-district fee.
For an associate degree, this equates to $5,100 in tuition and fees for in-district students, and $17,160 in tuition and fees for out-of-district students, officials said.
Annexed residents would also be eligible to run for the ACC board of trustees and vote in ACC board elections.
Sorting out details
During the public hearing, ACC Chief Financial Officer Neil Vickers said the college district's current tax rate is $0.1034 per $100 taxable value, split between $0.09 for the Maintenance & Operations rate and $0.0134 for the Debt Service rate.
Additionally, Vickers said ACC provides a homestead exemption of the greater of 1% or $5,000, along with an additional $75,000 exemption for seniors and homeowners with disabilities and a tax freeze for senior and disabled residents in the year they qualify.
Based on current rates and the average PfISD home value of $407,524, residents could expect the following changes to their taxes if annexed, according to Vickers:
- $34.67 monthly, or $416 annually, under the regular homestead exemption
- $28.25 monthly, or $339 annually, under the senior/disabled exemption
- $35.08 monthly, or $421 annually, for commercial property
The discussionSeveral speakers during the public hearing were supportive of the potential annexation, saying it would provide more educational opportunities for all Pflugerville residents, including those who are pursuing higher education, changing careers or building new workforce skills at a later stage in life.
Other speakers cited concerns with affordability, calling the annexation a "forever tax."
At the start of the public hearing, Chris Cervini, ACC's vice chancellor of community and public affairs, urged community members to speak with residents in other school districts that have been annexed by ACC to learn about their experiences with being a part of the college district.
Austin, Leander, Manor, Del Valle, Round Rock, Hays and Elgin ISDs have been annexed into ACC's taxing district, along with portions of Pflugerville and Eanes ISDs, throughout the years since 1972. The most recent annexation was Lockhart ISD in November 2024.
What to expect
The ACC board could call for the election at its Aug. 17 meeting.
Voters living within PfISD's territory who are not already living within the ACC taxing district will be eligible to vote for the measure on Nov. 3.
If approved, the in-district changes would occur immediately upon certification of the election, and residents would be eligible for in-district tuition in January 2027, ACC officials said.
In case you missed it
A recording of the meeting will be available on the board of trustees website and rebroadcast on ACCTV at a later date.
