BISD Clarifies Inaccuracies in Recent News Report on Budget and Tax Rate
Brazosport ISD is committed to transparency and fiscal responsibility, and we want to ensure our community has accurate and complete information regarding the district’s finances and tax rate. In response to an article in The Facts News on July 23, 2025, we would like to address and correct several key inaccuracies. The Facts is aware of the inaccuracies and will be publishing a corrected version of the article.
1. Tax Rate Misstatements
The original article misrepresented several key figures related to the district’s tax rate:
- It stated that the Interest & Sinking (I&S) rate would rise from $0.348 to $0.43.In reality, BISD’s I&S rate is $0.2153 and has remained unchanged since 2013. This is the portion of the tax rate used for bond payments.
- It claimed that the total tax rate would rise from $1.0835 to $1.1123—an increase of 2.88 cents. In fact, the current total tax rate is $0.9508, one of the lowest among our neighboring districts.
The Maintenance & Operations (M&O) rate, which supports daily district operations, is currently $0.7355 and will decrease. At Monday night’s Board Meeting, there was a report given to the Board about the availability of 3 Disaster Pennies due to Hurricane Beryl last summer. If the Board adopts the three one year optional disaster pennies, the M&O rate will be $0.7123. Without them, it would be $0.6823. Even with the additional three pennies, the overall tax rate would still decrease by 2 cents compared to last year. This was only an informational report with no action taken.
2. Surplus and Compensation Adjustments
The article implied that a previously projected $5.7 million surplus was eliminated solely due to the loss of federal funding. This is not accurate. The surplus was an early projection during the initial budget planning phase. Later, the BISD Board approved important compensation increases for teachers and staff, which shifted the budget to a balanced position. The current deficit emerged only after the district received notice of the federal grant freeze.
3. Federal Funding Freeze
The article incorrectly attributed the funding loss to expired ESSER funds and Title I reductions. Here are the facts:
- ESSER funds expired in the previous year, as scheduled.
- Title I funding remains active.
- The recent freeze affects Title II, Title III, and Title IV grants, which supports funding for staff salaries and stipends, professional development, programs for English learners, and student enrichment.
4. Budget Deficit
The original article reported a $927,000 deficit. The actual projected deficit for the 2025–26 school year is approximately $900,000, resulting from a recent freeze on select federal education grants.
Brazosport ISD remains focused on responsible budgeting and continuing to provide high-quality services for our students, staff, and families. District leaders are actively exploring all viable options to address the recent federal funding shortfall and minimize its impact.
For questions or additional information, please contact the BISD Business Office.