With property values climbing and debt obligations in focus, Farmersville ISD will soon decide how much residents will pay in school taxes for the coming year. The district will host a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 27 at Farmersville High School, 499 State Highway 78 N., to present its 2025-26 budget and proposed tax rate.

The proposal calls for a maintenance and operations rate of $0.7308 per $100 of taxable value and a debt service rate of $0.4842 per $100, which funds voter-approved bonds. Together, the proposed total tax rate would drop from $1.2394 to $1.215 per $100.

The district’s spending plan reflects an 11.36% increase in maintenance and operations and a 29.18% increase in debt service compared to last year. Total appraised property values are up 15.45% to $2.06 billion.

For the average residence, the taxable value is expected to fall from $207,739 to $190,015, with the average tax bill decreasing by about $266.

Farmersville ISD’s outstanding bonded debt totals $128.77 million. The proposed rates would generate an estimated $7,102 in local revenue per student and $8,047 in state revenue per student.

Under state law, taxes on the homestead of residents age 65 or older, or the surviving spouse meeting certain age requirements, cannot be increased beyond the amount paid in the first year after qualifying for the exemption.

The voter-approval tax rate is $1.215 per $100 of taxable value. If the district adopts a higher rate, an election will be required.

Year-end fund balances are projected at $11.05 million for maintenance and operations and $2.83 million for interest and sinking.

The public is encouraged to attend the meeting and participate in the discussion. More property tax information is available at Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes.

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