Local school districts are expected to adopt property tax rates in the coming weeks.
Alvin ISD Trustees are proposing a total tax rate of no more than $1.15 per $100 of taxable property value, and Pearland ISD is proposing a total rate of $1.1157 per $100 of value.
Once proposed tax rate is posted for the public, trustees may adopt that rate or a lower one.
“We cannot levy a higher tax rate — we can go lower, but we cannot levy a higher one after we have posted this,” Pearland ISD Superintendent Larry Berger said.
Pearland ISD’s rate for the current year is $1.135. The board is expected to consider adoption of a 2025-26 rate Aug. 12.
The tax rate for Alvin ISD is expected to be presented for adoption Sept. 9. The proposed rate is 2 cents below the current rate of $1.17.
“There’s still some question marks,” AISD associate superintendent and CFO Dr. Daniel said regarding adoption of the final rate. “But the rate has been reduced 28 cents since the 2019 era and even in 2005-6 we were at $1.70.”
School tax rates are largely determined at the state level.
“Often times residents think, ‘Property values are going up, so the school district must have more operational money because I’m writing larger and larger checks,” Combs said during a budget work session.
But that’s not how it works, he said.
“The state has a series of calculations where they fund us based on number of kids in enrollment, percent of attendance and programs they participate in,” he said. “Some comes from property values; some comes from the state, and the state sets those ratios.”
