Elgin ISD Adopts 1.2234 Tax Rate and Approves Amended 2025–26 Budget

The Elgin Independent School District Board of Trustees on Aug. 18 adopted a tax rate of 1.2234 and approved an amended 2025–26 budget, both by unanimous votes.

Chief Financial Officer Clark Motley told trustees the 1.2234 rate — split into a maintenance and operations component of 0.7552 and an interest-and-sinking component of 0.4682 — is the same rate the district adopted last year but will generate more revenue because property values rose. "Calculations must be done to determine a tax rate that would generate the same revenue that was generated in the previous year," Motley said, explaining the district's 'no-new-revenue' rate would have been 1.1471.

Motley outlined the amended budget the board approved. The general fund revenues are $69.1 million against expenditures of $70.7 million, leaving a projected deficit of about $1.805 million after recent compensation adjustments. Food service (child nutrition) was presented as a balanced fund at $6.2 million, and the debt service fund showed roughly a $237,000 surplus to ensure debt payments until revenues arrive.

Board members asked procedural and implementation questions during the presentation and then voted to adopt the tax rate and the amended budget by recorded voice votes of 7–0.

The board also noted the legal requirement to use specific motion language because the adopted rate exceeds the calculated 'no-new-revenue' rate; Motley said that requirement stems from state procedures governing tax adoption. No individual roll-call vote listing each trustee's name was recorded in the transcript; the board's minutes will document the official vote record.

What happens next: the tax rate and amended budget are now in effect for FY 2025–26, and district staff said they will continue to monitor revenues and expenditures, return to the board with further budget adjustments if needed, and post administrative guidance associated with the budget and tax actions.