Denton ISD presents 2025–26 budget built on current law; advisory committee urges voter option to raise local revenue

Denton Independent School District officials on Tuesday presented a 2025–26 budget proposal built on current state law and preliminary property estimates that would generate $325.5 million in revenue against $345.1 million in proposed expenditures, producing a $19.5 million deficit.

At a public hearing held during the Denton ISD Board of Trustees meeting, district budget presenter Miss Stewart (district staff, budget presenter) told trustees the proposal assumes 9.5% property value growth and an average daily attendance of 30,800. “We are proposing a revenue budget of $325,500,000,” Stewart said. She told the board the maintenance-and-operations (M&O) rate was budgeted on a Tier 1 rate of 0.5774 plus the district’s six “golden pennies,” for total M&O of 0.6374 and a combined tax rate with debt service of 1.1174.

Why it matters: Trustees and community members heard the district’s finance staff and a community advisory group explain that local options are among the few remaining levers to restore long-term fiscal balance after repeated state funding shortfalls, inflation in operating costs and rising mandates.

The 19‑25 advisory committee — a community task force convened this school year to study long‑term fiscal options — presented a timeline of meetings and three TRE scenarios that the group estimated could raise between…