Tarrant Appraisal District mock study shows Castleberry sales-ratio rise; public commenter urges broader participation

Tarrant Appraisal District’s new chief appraiser told the Castleberry Independent School District Board of Education that a county-level mock property value study shows the district’s sales-ratio estimate improved from the low 80s to about 91 percent, though the state will make the final determination on Jan. 31, 2026.

The mock property value study, presented by Joe Don Bobbitt, chief appraiser for the Tarrant Appraisal District, is TAD’s attempt to replicate the Texas Comptroller’s property value study and to measure whether appraisal districts are valuing property at market. Bobbitt said the district’s January estimate was “around 82%,” and that more recent data show the ratio improved to about 91% as additional sales were added to the sample.

The mock study matters because the state compares appraised values to actual sale prices to compute a sales ratio; falling below certain thresholds can trigger reductions in state funding for a school district. Bobbitt said the state uses a final sample compiled through December and releases results Jan. 31, and he emphasized the district’s limited levers this year because the staff “rolled the values from 2024” and could not change those appraised values for the current calculation.

Why it matters

A district’s sales ratio affects whether it receives a grace period or risks immediate funding reductions. Bobbitt said a ratio below 85.5% could result in an immediate funding loss, while being above 85.5% but below the ideal 95% generally allows a two-year grace period. He said the Tarrant County sample size was small earlier in the process — about 69 sales — which can make the estimate volatile; the sample grew through June and produced the higher estimate.

Public comment tied to the discussion

During the meeting’s public-comment period, Eric Crown, who said he had previously run for a TAD position and was nominated this year by a conservation district, urged the board to take an active role when it votes later this year on representatives to the tax appraisal district and to protect district budget authority. Crown told the board that the conservation districts of Tarrant County had elected to participate in the TAD process for the first time and that he had been nominated as their candidate. He said, “TAD does not set a tax rate. They are funded by the entities,” and urged trustees to consider nominees who would represent Castleberry ISD’s interests.

Details and caveats

- Bobbitt said the mock study compared 2024 appraised values to sale prices from July 2024 through June 2025; the state will re-run its audit using certified rolls and sales through December before publishing results on Jan. 31, 2026. - Sample size matters: Bobbitt noted the earlier 69-sale sample was small and that the sample roughly doubled as more sales were added, improving the ratio estimate. - Targets and thresholds: Bobbitt said the desirable threshold is above 95% (considered “local and valid”), while below 85.5% risks loss of state funding; Castleberry’s mock estimate of about 91% is still short of the 95% target but above the immediate-loss threshold.

What the district said

Board members and district staff asked clarifying questions about the causes of Castleberry’s relative improvement, protest rates and the mechanics of the mock study. Bobbitt pointed to the number of sales, the distribution of protests and differences in sample ranges as the primary drivers of variation in the ratio estimate.

Ending

The district’s final status will depend on the Texas Comptroller’s audit of sales and certified appraisals, expected Jan. 31, 2026. If the state’s calculation differs from TAD’s mock result, Bobbitt said TAD could assist with appeals focused on individual sales that skew the ratio.