TAX INFORMATION
EARLY VOTING: APRIL 20 - 28
ELECTION DAY: MAY 2
UNDERSTANDING THE TAX RATE
Public school tax rates are made up of two parts that fund different areas of a school district’s budget. The first is the Maintenance and Operations (M&O) portion, which pays for the day-to-day costs of running schools, including teacher and staff salaries, classroom supplies, food services, and utilities. The majority of M&O funding goes toward employee salaries.
The second part is the Interest and Sinking (I&S) fund, also known as Debt Service. I&S funds are used to repay voter-approved bonds for major capital projects, such as building new facilities or renovating existing ones.
Bond funds may be used for construction and renovation projects, land purchases, and major capital items like equipment, technology, and transportation. By law, I&S funds cannot be used for M&O expenses. This means bond elections do not fund teacher pay increases or rising operational costs like utilities and services.
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Coming Soon
HOW WILL THE BOND IMPACT TAXES?
If both propositions are approved, the maximum estimated tax impact would be an additional 2.2 cents to the current Decatur ISD I&S tax rate.
This is approximately $4.77 per month for the average DISD home value of $400,000 with a state homestead exemption.
HOMEOWNER TAX IMPACT CALCULATOR
HOMEOWNERS AGED 65 AND OLDER OR DISABLED:
NO TAX INCREASE
Under state law, as long as a homestead and over 65 exemption application have been filed with the local appraisal district, the dollar amount of school taxes imposed on the residence homestead of a person 65 years of age or older cannot be increased above the amount paid in the first year after the person turned 65 – regardless of changes in tax rate or property value – unless significant improvements are made to the home, increasing the overall value.
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Taxpayers who are 65 and older or disabled qualify for a tax exemption. Once a property owner receives an Over 65/Senior Citizen or Disability Homestead Exemption, there is a tax ceiling on their total local school district taxes.
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The tax ceiling is the amount you paid the year that you qualified for the Over 65 or Disability Homestead Exemption. This benefit is referred to as a tax ceiling because taxes can go lower, but not higher, than the ceiling.
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No, the appraised value can change, and the tax rate will change, but the school district taxes on your homestead cannot increase. Therefore, if this bond election is successful, it will not have an impact on the tax bill for homesteads that are receiving the Over 65 or Disability Exemption, unless you make significant improvements to your home.
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A significant improvement to your home would be, for example, if you build a swimming pool or add on a garage to your house.
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Homeowners age 65 or older can receive the Over-65 homestead exemption by applying through the Wise County Appraisal District and providing a copy of a Texas ID showing the homestead address. Once approved, the exemption stays in place and school district taxes are frozen as long as the home remains the owner’s primary residence.
DECATUR ISD TAX RATE HISTORY
Note: The M&O tax rate is set by the state.
SURROUNDING DISTRICT TAX RATE COMPARISON
CURRENT
If the bond is approved by voters, Decatur ISD would remain in the same position among current area school district 2026 tax rates.
POTENTIAL
