With voter approval, this School Funding Referendum will keep our property tax rate 6.5¢ lower than last year and 25¢ lower than five years ago due to a series of tax cuts approved by our District leaders.
It’s important to note that homeowners 65 years of age and older who have filed their homestead exemption will never see an increase in their property tax rate and may even see a decrease in the amount they owe.
Homeowners under 65 who have filed their homestead exemption will pay less in property taxes.
While our local State Representative is working hard for our students and teachers, the legislature as a whole has not increased the basic allotment for students since 2019 but continues to increase the burden of unfunded mandates on public schools and local taxpayers.
The dirty secret about school finance in Texas is that when your property values go up, the additional tax revenue that comes from higher property values does not stay in our district – the state uses it to help balance its budget at the expense of our students, teachers, and local taxpayers.
While the state has not made up the difference in the lost school funding over the past decade, local voters are allowed to recoup the lost classroom, safety, teacher, and student funding with local School Funding Referendums.
Past performance with your tax dollars:
The District has received an “A” rating for “Superior Achievement” from the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) for the last 8 years.
Achieved an ‘A’ district accountability rating from the Texas Education Agency.
Earned the highest bond rating possible due to our fiscal management.
The district’s property tax rate has been reduced multiple times in recent years.
Forney ISD’s professionals continuously monitor spending approved for capital improvement projects to make sure they are done on time and within budget.