The MISD Board of Trustees met for their regularly scheduled board meeting on Monday, August 21. You can watch the video and read the recap below. 

Montgomery ISD Board Approves Largest Property Tax Rate Reduction in Nearly Two Decades

New School District Chief of Police also sworn in by Judge Wayne Mack

The Montgomery ISD Board of Trustees held a regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Monday, August 21, and adopted a reduced tax rate for the 2023-24 school year.

The total tax rate for the school district is made up of two components: Maintenance & Operation (M&O), and Interest and Sinking (I&S).  The M&O rate provides for general maintenance and operations of the district, including employee salaries and instructional costs.  The I&S rate is used to pay down debt that finances the district’s facilities.

The new Montgomery ISD tax rates for the 2023-24 fiscal year are .6744 (M&O) and .3743 (I&S) for a total of $1.0487 per $100 property valuation. This rate is $0.1802 lower than the 2022-23 Montgomery ISD tax rates, which were $0.8546 (M&O) and $0.3743 (I&S) for a total of $1.2289 per $100 property valuation.

Over the past five years, the district’s tax rate has decreased by $0.32 per $100 property valuation.

The tax rate reduction adopted by the MISD Board of Trustees for the 2023-24 school year is the largest decrease to the district’s rate since 2006 when all school district property tax rates in Texas were decreased by $0.50.

“The Board was very excited to adopt a lower property tax rate, which will provide homeowners with much-needed relief,” Board President Laurie Turner said.  “It’s important to note that the MISD Board of Trustees sets the tax rate and does not determine property values. With that, this Board has always been committed to maintaining a conservative tax rate. We are hopeful that our lawmakers will acknowledge this by closely examining the funding our district receives from the state, which is below the state average when looking at funding per student.”

Additionally, trustees were proud to share that no increase to the district’s I&S tax rate was necessary or adopted, despite the district communicating the need for a small increase as part of the 2022 bond program.

 “During the 2022 bond campaign, MISD was very transparent and up-front with voters that a small tax increase may be necessary to support the measure,” Interim Superintendent Dr. Amy Busby said. “Since the May 2022 bond election, the district has sold $226.9 million of the bonds without an increase to our I&S rate. This speaks volumes about our board and district’s commitment to sound fiscal management.”

Also, during the meeting, Montgomery County Judge Wayne Mack officially swore in Rickey Doerre as Chief of Police for the Montgomery ISD Police Department.

“I am excited for the opportunity to serve Montgomery ISD as Chief of Police,” Doerre said.  “It is truly an honor to lead this group of dedicated officers, ensuring that the safety and security of our students and staff continues to be the district’s top priority. We are committed to working with campus leaders and our supportive community to make MISD a safe place for our students to learn and grow.”

Doerre succeeds Chief Stephen Phillips, who officially retires on August 31, and was recognized by the trustees during the meeting for his contributions to the school district. Lena Neugebauer was also honored by the trustees for her longtime service to the district and leadership of MISD’s Child Nutrition Department.