Austin ISD Eyes Tax Hike

The Austin Independent School District may ask voters in November to increase its operations tax rate above the current $1.04 per $100 of assessed value to generate more money for teacher salaries and academic programs.

The district could ask for an operational tax rate as high as $1.17, although officials said the proposed increase is not expected to be that large.

Austin ISD’s current property tax rate totals $1.163 per $100 when the debt service portion is included. However, that does not include a 1.7-cent increase that voters approved earlier this month in passing a $343.7 million bond package.

Salaries and benefits account for about 85% of the district’s current $800 million operations budget.

Education Austin, which represents the district’s teachers and other employees in labor negotiations, is asking trustees for a 5% raise for all employees for the next school year. The raises would cost the district about $23 million.

Superintendent Pat Forgione is expected to make a final recommendation to the school board at a meeting on June 9.

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