PSJA board accepts canvass of failed bond propositions, approves 2025 tax roll; receives A rating on state financial report
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Summary
Trustees accepted the official canvass showing both bond propositions failed, approved the 2025 tax roll and reported tax rates, and heard that PSJA received a superior FIRST rating (94/100) despite one failed indicator tied to a $61 campus invoice; the board also reviewed delinquent tax-collection results and discussed homestead-exemption impacts.
The PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO ISD Board of Trustees on Nov. 17 formally accepted the canvass of a recent bond election, approved the district's 2025 tax roll and heard finance reports that included a superior Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) rating.
Assistant Superintendent for Finance Rebecca Gonzales presented official canvass totals for the bond election and said both Proposition A and Proposition B failed based on the reported tallies; Trustee Viegaes moved to accept the canvass and the board approved the motion unanimously.
Gonzales also presented the district's FIRST report for the 2024-25 rating cycle. PSJA was reported to have earned a superior achievement rating, scoring 94 out of 100. The district did not meet one critical indicator (an unpaid $61 invoice that triggered failure on that single test), but the overall score remained high and no automatic F was applied. Trustees asked staff how the district addressed the invoice and Gonzalez said it had been cleared and staff spoke with campus personnel about timely payment procedures.
On tax matters, the board approved the 2025 tax roll and associated rates. Gonzales stated the maintenance-and-operations rate at 0.7869 and the debt-service rate at 0.2241, producing a combined rate the packet listed as 1.011; the board voted to approve the tax roll as presented. A board member asked staff to verify the packet's reported total tax-levy number, which appears to be misformatted in the materials and should be confirmed in the official posted documents.
The board also heard a delinquent tax-collections report from Michael McConnell of Linebarger, which summarized collections for the 09/01/2024'08/31/2025 period. McConnell reported roughly $2.8 million in collections and explained a significant portion of adjustments related to refunds caused by recent rises in the homestead exemption. He reviewed the office's approach to foreclosure (targeting vacant or abandoned properties) and said roughly 95'96% of district taxpayers pay on time; trustees discussed how higher homestead exemptions will affect district revenue and long-term forecasting.
During public comment earlier in the meeting, a resident alleged past election irregularities; board and staff responses emphasized the limits of public-comment time and that election verification and canvass procedures are handled through formal election offices and the board's canvass process.
Trustees directed finance staff to confirm and, if necessary, correct any transcribed figures in the packet and to continue forecasting potential revenue impacts from state-level property-tax policy changes.