Leander ISD board adopts 2025 tax rate; officials cite state homestead changes

The Leander ISD board held a public hearing and then adopted a tax rate of $1.0869 per $100 of taxable value for the 2025–26 school year, trustees voted late in the meeting. The motion set the maintenance and operations (M&O) component at 0.7569 and an interest and sinking (I&S) component at 0.33, for a combined rate identical to last year’s total levy, the district said.

CFO Dr. Pete Poppe explained the sequence to the board during the required public‑hearing presentation. He said changes the state made to homestead exemptions reduced taxable values after the district published its initial notice, which required a second legally required hearing. Poppe walked board members through legislative changes dating to House Bill 3 and more recent increases to the homestead exemption. He said the I&S portion (0.33) “gets us right at the minimum scheduled debt payment” and that keeping the adopted rate preserves payments without triggering state penalties.

Why it matters: The board’s action preserves the district’s revenue plan for debt service and operations while reflecting state actions that reduce taxable value for homesteaded properties. Poppe said the average taxable homestead value used in final calculations resulted in an average annual tax increase of $163 for a typical homesteaded property compared with the prior year’s certified values.

Board action: Trustee Trish moved adoption of the rate; the motion was seconded and carried with all trustees present voting in favor. The required statutory motion language and calculations were read on the record, as state law prescribes when a district’s adopted tax rate exceeds the “no‑new‑revenue” threshold.

Ending: Trustees scheduled no further immediate action on the tax rate; administrative staff said they will continue to monitor state legislative activity affecting property taxes and homestead exemptions.