Pflugerville ISD residents could pay more in taxes to gain access to Austin Community College’s in-district tuition rate and other opportunities if PfISD voters move forward with a measure to annex into ACC's taxing district in November.
The ACC board of trustees accepted a community petition calling for the annexation in June, and voted during a special meeting Aug. 17, to add the item to the Nov. 3 ballot which will go before residents living within PfISD’s territory not already in the college’s taxing district.
PfISD households that live in the city of Austin have been paying ACC taxes since city voters approved joining the district in 2005.
If the annexation measure is approved by voters, PfISD would join several other local school districts, including Austin, Leander, Lockhart, Manor, Del Valle, Round Rock, Hays and Elgin ISDs, along with portions of Eanes ISD, which have been annexed into ACC’s taxing district throughout the years since 1972.
Annexed residents would also be eligible to run for the ACC board of trustees and vote in ACC board elections, per a news release.
However, some residents have voiced opposition toward the potential annexation, saying that many of the proposed benefits are already available to PfISD students, and question whether in-district rates alone would justify increased property taxes.
How we got here
In June, the ACC board of trustees unanimously accepted a petition with 5,483 signatures from Pflugerville residents seeking to place the annexation item on the November ballot—exceeding the 5% threshold of registered voters living within the proposed annexed territory.
“Because of the great effort that communities often undertake to successfully complete annexation petition drives, once it is determined that the petitioners have passed the threshold, it is customary for the board to accept the signatures,” ACC officials said in an email to Community Impact.
PfISD voters rejected a similar request in 2018, despite garnering 3,556 community signatures in a petition in favor of annexation.
ACC officials said the college system must remain neutral on matters of annexation.
“Annexation is an important community decision, and local voters will determine whether Pflugerville joins the ACC District,” Chris Cervini, ACC vice chancellor of Community and Public Affairs, said in a statement.
The big picture
ACC held a public hearing July 16 regarding the potential annexation.
According to officials, ACC’s in-district tuition and fee rate is $85 per credit hour. Students who live outside the ACC district currently pay $286 per credit hour, which includes a $201 out-of-district fee. High school or GED students in ACC’s service area graduating between 2024 and 2028 qualify for the district’s free tuition. Students living outside the taxing district still pay the $201 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, ACC Chief Financial Officer Neil Vickers said.
According to ACC, annexation benefits could include expanded collaboration with PfISD to develop career academies in health sciences, advanced manufacturing and skilled trades, and in-tuition rates for ACC’s four bachelor’s degree programs.
The local impact
During the public hearing, Vickers said the college district’s current tax rate is $0.1034 per $100 taxable value.
Based on current rates and the average PfISD home value of $407,524, residents with a homestead exemption could expect to pay $34.67 monthly, or $416 annually. Residents with a senior or disabled exemption could expect to pay $28.25 monthly, or $339 annually. Commercial properties could expect to pay an average of $35.08 a month.
What they're saying
Some public hearing speakers cited concerns with affordability, calling the annexation a “forever tax.”
“We all pay [K-12 taxes] because it benefits everyone,” said Julia Ruiz, a member of Pflugerville Residents for Responsible Taxation, a political action committee. “Postsecondary education is an individual investment. ... If we want to support our students, we can do it directly—a local scholarship fund—one we can control with real oversight and an actual end date.”
Pflugerville City Council member Melody Ryan said many benefits listed in ACC’s proposed service plan are already accessible for PfISD students because they are within ACC’s service area.
Those supporting the annexation said it would provide more educational opportunities.
“What I think about are the 26-year-olds and the 30-year-olds and the 35-year-olds who are faced with retooling their careers due to the ever-changing workforce,” said Pflugerville Education Foundation board member Staci Young.
Healthcare worker Danielle Kailing also said that despite an estimated $304 annual property tax increase for her household, annexation could boost the local healthcare workforce.
“That [tuition] difference of more than $12,000 can determine whether college feels possible,” Kailing said.
Quote of note
“When people ask me about annexation, I often tell them, ‘Just go talk to somebody who has annexed ... and ask them what they think,'" Cervini said during the public hearing. "Have those conversations. We are an economically unified community. There’s a lot of opportunities across our various jurisdictions.”
What to expect
The ACC board of trustees held a special meeting Aug. 17 and voted to place the item on the November ballot.
Voters within PfISD’s territory who are not already within the ACC taxing district will be eligible to vote for the measure.
If approved, ACC officials said the rate changes would occur immediately upon certification of the election in November, and residents would be eligible for in-district tuition in January.
