The Crowley ISD Board of Trustees voted to adopt the district's 2025'026 tax rate at its meeting, keeping the consolidated rate unchanged from 2024'025. The board approved the tax rate after a presentation from district finance staff explaining how state calculations and recent changes in property exemptions affected assessed values.

District finance staff member Enrique Fisher told trustees the district's maintenance and operations (M&O) rate is calculated by applying the Texas Education Agency's compressed rate (0.6169) plus a voter-approved enrichment rate (0.1383), producing an M&O rate of 0.7552. The board's debt service levy remains at 50 cents per $100 of assessed value. "We communicated that that tax rate would stay the same. It would not increase," Fisher said during his presentation.

The tax rate funds most of the district's operating budget; trustees had approved the fiscal 2026 budget at the June 26 board meeting. Fisher explained that the district is taxing on a lower total assessed value this year, in part because of recent legislative and appraisal changes, but the levy levels are unchanged. He cited anticipated voter action to raise the state homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 and said provisions in another bill raise the elderly and disabled exemption from $10,000 to $50,000, both of which reduce taxable value. The district has received state assurances that it will be held relatively harmless for lost local property value at this point.

Trustee Dr. Latanya Wilson Mayfield asked what affects the 50-cent debt levy and whether the district can keep that level. Fisher and trustees said the district works with its financial adviser, Hilltop Securities, to structure debt repayments so the levy remains at or below 50 cents per $100; Fisher said the district tries not to raise the debt levy above 51 cents and structures outstanding debt to allow repayment within the 50-cent test.

Trustee June W. Davis pressed Fisher to explain what the Tarrant Appraisal District did differently; Fisher said state law requires appraisals to reflect value as of Jan. 1 each year but that Tarrant had decided to appraise properties on a biannual basis, which contributed to the dip in assessed values shown in district charts. Fisher also said the district cannot precisely predict how many property owners will qualify for expanded exemptions and called that number "dynamic." Another staff member estimated the state assumes the district will receive roughly $4 million to $5 million under the state's tiered funding calculation (tier 1); trustees said they will continue to evaluate the local homestead option, currently a 10% local homestead exemption that reduces taxable value for all qualifying residences.

A motion to adopt the 2025'026 tax rate was made by Trustee Kalisha Stevenson and seconded by Trustee Dr. Nedra Robinson. The board voted by show of hands and the motion passed.

The board discussion includedvisual charts showing a declining consolidated rate over recent years despite the lower overall assessed base. Fisher reiterated that the consolidated rate is what taxpayers see on their bills and that the district remains on track to fund the adopted 2026 budget at the adopted levy levels.

The board later moved on to other agenda items, including pulling a separate resolution for further review; an executive session was convened later in the meeting.