McAllen ISD reviews options to lower tax rate while weighing $220M or $290M bond authority

McAllen ISD trustees heard an informational briefing Sept. 10 on two options for the district's 2025-26 tax rate and potential voter-authority for future bonds, officials said. The presentation, delivered by the district's financial advisers from Estrada Hossa, outlined a plan that would lower the district's total tax rate from $0.99 to $0.93 for fiscal 2025-26 while offering either $220 million or $290 million in bond authority to address facilities needs.

Dr. Miguel de Los Santos of Estrada Hossa, introduced by Lorena Garcia, the district's deputy superintendent for business and operations, told trustees that staff and advisers had developed two financing options: one that keeps the I&S (interest and sinking) rate at 13 cents and yields about $220 million in bonding capacity, and a second that phases the I&S rate up to $0.1616 over several years and yields about $290 million. "We've developed 2 options," de Los Santos said, and the board should "mull those 2 options and then decide" at a later date.

The presentation emphasized…