Arlington Independent School District trustees on Sept. 4 voted 6–0 to authorize staff to pursue defeasance or redemption of certain unlimited-tax bonds and to adopt the district’s 2025–26 tax rate after a required public hearing. The board also heard a detailed explanation from interim Chief Financial Officer Norberto Rivas about how state calculations can show an “effective increase” in tax effort even when the district’s nominal tax rate decreases.

Rivas opened the public hearing required by state law and presented a comparison of tax-rate calculations, explaining the distinction between the “no new revenue” rate (which looks only at local taxable values) and the proposed rate (which factors local collections plus state aid and voter‑approved pennies). He said the proposed rate is about one penny lower than last year’s rate and that the decrease reduces taxes on a $100,000 home by about $10. However, because state law requires a comparison with the no-new-revenue calculation, the statutory disclosure can show an “effective increase” in tax effort — a result Rivas and trustees described as an apples‑to‑oranges comparison.

Rivas also reviewed that under the state funding formulas (he referenced the Texas Education Code funding constructs and tax-code calculations), certain supplemental pennies approved by voters generate state aid; recapture can affect local collections. He urged the public to read the legislation and the statutory comparisons on the record.

On the agenda before the tax-rate ordinance, trustees adopted a resolution delegating authority to an authorized officer to evaluate defeasance or redemption of callable bonds. Rivas and staff noted bonds from the 2017 series become callable in February 2026 and that defeasance could save an estimated $7 million in interest if executed when market conditions allow. The resolution delegates authority to staff to work with financial advisors; any actual bond-closing would return to the board for approval. Trustees approved the defeasance resolution 6–0.

Trustee Sarah McMorrow moved to adopt the tax-rate ordinance and President Chapa seconded; the motion carried 6–0. During discussion President Chapa and others stressed that statutory disclosure language and the required comparisons can produce misleading headlines, because the mechanics of state aid and the “no new revenue” calculation are not directly comparable to the proposed rate that includes state funding.

No members of the public registered to speak during the public hearing. The district will publish the adopted ordinance and the statutorily required comparisons as part of its official records.