New
Bonds Won’t Raise Taxes
for Seniors or Disabled
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Senior Tax Savings
2005-2006:
$2,625
2007-2008: $1,863
Example: The
owner of a $200,000 home whose taxes
were frozen for the first time in
2005-2006 paid $2,625 in taxes. This
fall, the same homeowners will pay
a much reduced school tax of $1,863.
School taxes will remain frozen at
this lower level.
Due
to passage of the May 12 state constitutional
amendment, or Proposition 1, the same
school property tax relief will now
be extended to elderly and disabled
homeowners as it will be to other
Texas homeowners. For qualifying SBISD
residents 65 years or older or disabled
with a homestead exemption, school
taxes will be lowered beginning this
fall. Thousands of Spring Branch homeowners
will enjoy these tax savings that
will remain frozen at the lower level.
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Passage of
the bond issue does not affect the taxes
of anyone 65 or older or disabled with
homestead exemption.
For qualifying seniors and disabled homeowners,
school taxes will be lowered this fall as
a result of the constitutional amendment approved
by Texas voters in May.
Your taxes will remain frozen at
the lower level and will not be increased
as a result of passage of this bond election.
On Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007, Spring Branch voters
approved a $597.1 million bond issue
to replace some of the district’s
oldest campuses, build new classrooms and
provide districtwide improvements to all SBISD
campuses.
The bond package will address these
major areas:
- Upgrade safety, security and technology
- Rebuild some of SBISD’s oldest campuses
- Upgrade and maintain existing systems
- Upgrade transportation and athletic facilities
The SBISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved
calling a bond election during a special Sept.
5 meeting. The Board’s 7-0 vote to call
for a fall election followed an extensive
review of recommendations made by a 65-member
Bond Advisory Committee, headed by two district
parents.
The Bond Advisory Committee met regularly
for five months. It reviewed current and future
facility needs, including a two-year study
of the district’s 5.6 million square
feet (or 130 acres) of buildings. Business
representatives, retirees, teachers and other
patrons from every attendance zone in the
district served on the committee.
As you may know, school taxes are frozen
when homeowners 65 years or older or disabled
qualify for homestead exemption. For these
homeowners, taxes will be lowered this fall
due to the passage of a Texas constitutional
amendment giving them the same tax relief
as other homeowners.
Taxes for senior residents will remain frozen
at the lower level and will not increase as
a result of this bond measure – regardless
of its approval or denial by voters.
In addition, Spring Branch’s current
standing as a so-called “Robin Hood” school
district will not result in a redistribution
of funds. Under the state’s Robin Hood
funding scheme, more than $55 million in local
taxes has been sent elsewhere to “equalize” school
funding for public education throughout Texas.
Bond funds, however, are not subject
to this redistribution to poorer school districts.
All voter-approved bond funds – 100
percent of SBISD’s bond dollars – remain
in Spring Branch to benefit students directly.
Thank you for all you have done to make Spring
Branch an outstanding school district.
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