Prop A FAQs

  •  Voters will consider two separate propositions:

    • Proposition A – Bond: A $147 million proposal for facility improvements, land acquisition, transportation, technology infrastructure, safety and security.

    • Proposition B – School Funding Election (VATRE): A Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election to generate additional operating revenue for staffing, programs, and student support. 

    • Election Day: Tuesday, November 4, 2025

    • Early Voting: October 20–31, 2025

    Last Day to Register to Vote: October 6, 2025

  • No. Both measures are structured to remain within the district’s existing tax rate of $1.0638 per $100 of assessed value. In fact, through the retirement of old debt, tax compression, and the increased homestead exemption, the district can approve both propositions and still lower the tax rate by almost 4 cents ($0.0362 cents).  For the average homeowner, this will reduce the average annual taxes by roughly $500.

  • A School Bond is like a long-term loan, similar to a mortgage, used exclusively for building, renovating, or equipping school facilities. State law prohibits Bond funds from being used for teacher salaries or day-to-day operations.

  • The proposal was developed in Spring 2025 through a 113-member Community Advisory Committee. The committee studied academic program needs, facility assessments, enrollment growth projections, and financial data, aligning its recommendations with Taylor ISD’s 10-Year Expenditure Projection Plan (long-term preventive maintenance plan) for maintaining and replacing high-cost items.

  • The Bond emphasizes expanding academic opportunities, updating facilities, and preparing for growth. Key projects include:

    • Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) innovative classroom spaces PK–8, at T.H. Johnson ES, Main Street ES, Naomi Pasemann ES, and Taylor MS

    • Renovations and additions of multipurpose facility at Taylor High School including:

      • Will support a wide range of student curricular and UIL programs, including but not limited to band, theater, choir, dance, and general classroom instruction. It will also serve as a space for an auditorium, community events, student assemblies, additional student programming, and professional development for staff. The goal is to provide a flexible, inclusive environment that meets the diverse needs of our students and community.

    • Renovations and additions at Taylor Middle School including:

      • Bringing science labs up to educational standards

      • P.E. and athletics facilities

      • Cafeteria redesign

      • Overall building refresh

    • Safety, security, and technology infrastructure upgrades at every campus

      • Upgrades to surveillance, access control, emergency communications, and technology infrastructure

    • Replacement of aging MEP systems (HVAC, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, roofing, and other infrastructure)

    • Comprehensive Design & Planning ​

      • Funds future facility design and planning to align with 10-Year Long-Range Plan ​

    • Enables phased project readiness as enrollment increases

    • Artificial Turf for THS Baseball & Softball Fields ​

      • Replaces natural surfaces with turf to improve durability, reduce maintenance and water usage, and bring them up to current standards.

    • Transportation upgrades and replacement of aging buses and support vehicles

    • Land acquisition for future campuses 

      • Purchase of future school sites to support projected enrollment growth.

  • Enhanced spaces will support STEM, fine arts, UIL, science labs, and other curricular and extracurricular programs.

  • A 10-year demographic study projects more than 12,000 new housing units in the district, with enrollment expected to more than double to approximately 7,000 students. Purchasing land now will help the district prepare for growth while controlling costs.

  • The Bond includes the following safety upgrades at all campuses, including door and hardware replacements, enhanced fencing, improved parking and traffic flow, and technology infrastructure to improve access control and emergency communications.

  • Capital maintenance funds will replace outdated HVAC systems, roofing, plumbing, electrical and other infrastructure requirements.

  • No. Bond funds are restricted to capital projects and cannot be used for salaries or operational costs.

  • The district would not be authorized to proceed with the planned facility improvements, upgrades, or land acquisitions necessary to accommodate projected student enrollment growth.

  • Bond funds can only be used for the specific purposes approved by voters in the election and cannot be used for salaries or daily operating expenses. Taylor ISD will establish a Bond Oversight Committee made up of community members to review project progress and spending. The district will also provide regular public updates, and all bond expenditures will be subject to Board of Trustees monthly oversight, annual financial audits, and state reporting requirements.

Prop B FAQs

  •  A Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election allows voters to decide whether to approve a tax rate that generates additional revenue for the district’s Maintenance & Operations (M&O) budget, which funds staffing, programs, and daily operations.

    • Programs including but not limited to STEM, fine arts, academic and extracurricular programming

    • Classroom support, intervention and enrichment programs

    • Teachers and support staff salaries

  • Approximately $650,000 annually, plus an estimated $373,000 in additional revenue through the district’s partnership with local corporations, called a 313 agreement.

  • The district will not receive the additional operating revenue included in the proposal, which may impact staffing, classroom sizes, and program offerings. Estimated reduction will result in over a $1 million dollar shortfall.

  • VATRE funds are planned for operational costs only—not major construction or renovations.

  • The VATRE would help maintain and expand instructional programming, including but not limited to classroom instructional resources, intervention and enrichment programs, STEM initiatives, CTE, fine arts, and extracurricular programs.

  • Yes. VATRE funding would allow the district to expand academic programs such as STEM, fine arts, academic UIL programs, science fairs, robotics, and other enrichment opportunities.

  • Taylor ISD offers 10 CTE pathways, including welding, animal science, business, plumbing, automotive technology, floral design, graphic design, health sciences, culinary arts, and electrical technology.

  • Students can participate in dance, high steppers, cheer, art, band, choir, theatre, and color guard.

  • The district partners with Samsung and other industry leaders to offer internships and apprenticeships, including paid summer programs.

  • Yes. VATRE funding supports extracurricular activities such as robotics, fine arts, and academic competitions by covering staffing, materials, and transportation costs.

General FAQs

  •  Voters will consider two separate propositions:

    • Proposition A – Bond: A $147 million proposal for facility improvements, land acquisition, transportation, technology infrastructure, safety and security.

    • Proposition B – School Funding Election (VATRE): A Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election to generate additional operating revenue for staffing, programs, and student support. 

    • Election Day: Tuesday, November 4, 2025

    • Early Voting: October 20–31, 2025

    Last Day to Register to Vote: October 6, 2025

  • No. Both measures are structured to remain within the district’s existing tax rate of $1.0638 per $100 of assessed value. In fact, through the retirement of old debt, tax compression, and the increased homestead exemption, the district can approve both propositions and still lower the tax rate by almost 4 cents ($0.0362 cents).  For the average homeowner, this will reduce the average annual taxes by roughly $500.

  • If the district delays addressing facility needs, the cost of construction is projected to rise each year due to inflation in materials and labor. Based on conservative annual increases, the current $147 million bond package could grow significantly over time:

    • 2025: $147 million (current proposal)

    • 2026: $154.3 million

    • 2027: $160.5 million

    • 2028: $168.5 million

    • 2029: $182 million

    • 2030: $196.6 million

    • 2031: $202.5 million

    • 2032: $208.6 million

    • 2033: $214.8 million

    That means waiting 8 years could increase the cost of the same projects by nearly $68 million.

Finance FAQs

  • Yes. If both the Bond and School Funding Election are approved, the total school tax rate for 2025–26 will be $1.06, about 4¢ lower than the 2024–25 school year.

  • In 2019, Texas passed a law that requires all school bond ballots to include the phrase:

    “THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE.”

    This language must appear on the ballot even when the district’s total tax rate is going down. For Taylor ISD, the 2025–26 total school tax rate will be $1.06 per $100 of taxable value — about 4¢ lower than last year.

  • The ISD tax rate portion of your total property tax bill is set by the school district. In 2024–25, the rate was $1.10 for every $100 of taxable property value. For 2025–26, the total school tax rate will be $1.0638 — about 4¢ lower than last year.

    Your tax bill depends on two things: the district’s tax rate and your property’s appraised value. Taylor ISD controls the ISD rate, but the county appraisal district sets property values. If your home value goes up, your total tax bill may change even though the rate is lower.

  • No. Taylor ISD does not set property values. Home values are set by the Williamson County Appraisal District, which is separate from the school district.

  • Your total property tax bill is made up of several tax rates from different local governments. Each entity sets its own rate, and together they add up to your total property tax bill.

    • School District (Taylor ISD): Funds local schools. This rate is set by the school board.

    • County (Williamson County): Funds county services such as law enforcement, roads, and public health.

    • City of Taylor: Funds city services like police, fire, utilities, and infrastructure.

    • Special Districts: Depending on where you live, you may also see rates for emergency services districts (ESDs), municipal utility districts (MUDs), or other local service providers.

    * Important: Taylor ISD only controls the school district rate, not the county, city, or special district rates.

  • The school tax rate is made up of two parts: one for daily operations and one for paying off debt. Even with new bonds, the total tax rate can go down because:

    • Property values and state funding formulas allow the district to collect the needed revenue at a lower rate.

    • Taylor ISD is also actively paying off previous debts, which reduces future obligations.

    • The district maintains strong financial ratings, allowing it to borrow at lower interest rates.

    Together, these factors mean the district can fund projects through bonds while still projecting a lower total tax rate, making the overall impact less for taxpayers.

  • Property values are set by the county appraisal district, not the school district. If your home value goes up, your tax bill may change, even if the tax rate is lower. The district controls the ISD rate, not the value of your property.

  • No. Only one person listed as a homeowner needs to be 65 to qualify for the homestead exemption.

  • TISD has an underlying bond rating of “A” which is considered an investment grade bond rating. The credit enhanced bond rating by virtue of the PSF Guarantee from the state of Texas is “AAA” which reflects that the state of Texas backs the debt of the District.

  • Throughout the life of a school bond, there are scheduled opportunities to “call” the bond for early repayment. When these opportunities arise, the school district reviews its financial position to determine whether it is feasible and beneficial to pay off the bond ahead of schedule.  To date, the district has successfully executed early repayment or refinancings on bonds totaling $7 million.

  • No. The propositions fund different things, but together they result in the same total tax rate of $1.06, for 2025–26 — about 4¢ lower than last year.

  • Yes. The State of Texas requires school districts to reduce their tax rates each year to offset rising property values — this is called tax compression.

    For 2025–26, Taylor ISD’s tax rate will be $1.06 per $100 of taxable value, about 4¢ lower than last year, due to compression. The proposed bond does not cancel or remove that reduction — the rate is still projected to decrease even if the bond is approved.

  • Yes, if you have a 65+ homestead exemption and your school district's tax rate goes down below your tax ceiling, also known as a tax freeze, your school tax bill will be lower.   

     

Election notices

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If you would like an informational presentation on the Taylor ISD 2025 Bond & School Funding Election by a district official for your organization or group, please fill out the form linked below.

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