The Cleburne ISD Board of Trustees has approved what will be good news for taxpayers in adopting a new tax rate that has decreased for the third consecutive year.

                Following a public hearing on the proposed amounts for the 2021-22 fiscal year during Monday’s school board meeting, Trustees approved a new tax rate of $1.4486 per $100 valuation, reflecting a drop from the previous year’s rate of $1.5147. Combining the new tax figure with those of the last two years, the tax rate has dropped by more than 12 cents.

The new figure combines a Maintenance and Operations rate of $ .9942 and a debt service (Interest and Sinking) rate of $0.4544.

“Our Maintenance and Operations rate was at $1.17 three years ago,” Trustee John Finnell said, in making the motion to approve the new tax rate. “Now it is less than a dollar.”

Superintendent Dr. Kyle Heath is ready to get the word out regarding the 2021-22 tax rate. The 2021 Bond, with multiple projects approved by voters, was presented as a no tax rate increase referendum.

“It was very important to our district to see the projects within Bond 2021 approved by voters,” Heath said. “To come back with a decreased Interest and Sinking amount lower than the 46 cents projected at the time of the election is great. We are thrilled to be able to provide some additional tax relief to our tax payers.”

“We remain grateful for the support of our community and the investments they have made in our district in passing Bond 2016, which resulted in the new high school, followed by their support of Bond 2021 last May,” he said. “Our facilities have improved, and will continue to improve because of this. Ultimately, our community has made investments in our kids.”

“It is important to also give credit to our Board of Trustees for the vision they have for our school district, and for their commitment to constituents in serving as good financial stewards,” Heath said. “The future of CISD and our community is very bright. As more people learn about the great things happening in Cleburne, more are choosing our city as their new home. With this, property valuations in the area will continue to go up, and as such, our district’s tax rate will continue to be compressed.” 

The District has set Sunday, November 7 as the date for an afternoon groundbreaking ceremony to begin the construction of new classroom additions and renovations at Wheat Middle School, which are targeted for completion in the summer of 2023. The event is set for 2 p.m.