Lancaster ISD board adopts 2025–26 budget, sets tax rate at $1.2244 per $100

Lancaster Independent School District trustees unanimously adopted the district's 2025–26 proposed budget and set a combined tax rate of $1.2244 per $100 of taxable value after a public hearing and discussion Aug. 30 at the Lancaster Administration Building.

Shaw Moseley, presenting the budget on behalf of district staff, said the board is being asked to adopt a proposed general operating, child nutrition and debt service budget that projects $78,065,712 in total revenue and a total expenditure request of $87,891,897, “which is an impact to the fund balance of $9,826,185.” Moseley said the revenue projection assumes passage of a 2025 homestead exemption measure by voters on Nov. 4, 2025.

The district also approved a final amendment to the 2024–25 budget to align ledger codes and updated revenue and expenditure projections. Finance staff presented the amendment as a revenue reduction of about $3.2 million and an adjusted amended expenditure budget of $87,007,838. The board voted to approve the amendment unanimously.

The adopted 2025–26 budget retains a maintenance and operations (M&O) tax rate of 0.7869 and an interest and sinking (I&S) debt-service rate of 0.4375, for a combined rate of 1.2244 per $100 of taxable value. Trustee Carolyn Ann Morris moved the tax-rate motion, which was seconded by Trustee Queenie Nichols; the motion carried unanimously.

Moseley described several…