Although approval of NBISD ’24 Bond will not increase New Braunfels ISD’S tax rate, state law requires that the statement “THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE” must appear as part of all public school district bond propositions pursuant to Section 45.003 (Texas Education Code) regardless of whether passage of the proposition would result in a tax rate increase, a tax rate decrease, or not impact the tax rate at all. Passage of NBISD ’24 Bond would not increase New Braunfels ISD’s I&S tax rate.

The issuance of new bonds represents a new obligation for voters to consider – essentially providing permission for New Braunfels ISD to continue to levy the interest and sinking (I&S) tax rate in order to repay the new bonds. School districts repay bonds through revenue generated from the I&S portion of the property tax rate. New Braunfels ISD’s current I&S tax rate is $0.3408 per $100 of property value.

Yes, in any year, if the taxable appraised value of a property increases or decreases from the previous year, then the actual amount of taxes due on a property would increase or decrease that year, even if the tax rate stays the same. The taxable appraised value of a property is NOT related to or impacted by a bond proposition or the property tax rate. Under Texas law, the amount of property taxes due each year is based on two primary factors – the property tax rate and the taxable appraised value. The property tax rate is set by a taxing entity, such as New Braunfels ISD. The appraised value is determined by a separate entity called an appraisal district. In New Braunfels ISD’s area, it’s the Comal Appraisal District and the Guadalupe Appraisal District. The taxable appraised value is the appraised value of a property after any eligible exemptions are applied to the property. NBISD ’24 Bond would not increase New Braunfels ISD’s debt service tax rate (I&S tax rate), so without a change in property tax rate, the primary factor that could change how much tax is due on a property compared to a previous year is whether the taxable appraised value changes (which is determined by the Comal Appraisal District and the Guadalupe Appraisal District; not New Braunfels ISD) .

Texas school districts are funded by three major sources: Federal, State, and Local. Two factors drive school finance in Texas: enrollment, and local property values. A school district tax rate has two distinct components which added together make up the annual school tax rate:

Maintenance and Operations (M&O) funds are used to fund the day-to-day operations of a school district, including teacher and staff salaries; utilities; student services and curriculum; professional development; and facility maintenance and management.

Interest and Sinking (I&S) funds are generated from the sale of voter-approved bonds. These funds are restricted for use only for projects such as the construction of new facilities; additions and renovations to existing facilities; safety and security projects; and purchase of capital expense items such as buses and large technology expenses.

School property taxes are set by an annual M&O plus I&S tax rate approved by the district’s Board of Trustees.

A school district receives funding from the state based on two major components: enrollment, and local property values. Property taxes paid by homeowners and businesses make up the majority of revenue for local public schools. Texas school districts receive funding from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) based primarily on student attendance. State revenue makes up the difference between total revenue earned and local tax revenue. Your local school district is funded using a formula that is set in statute and based on number of students enrolled, student demographics, attendance, and the school’s participation in special programs.

Property values are determined annually by local appraisal districts. School districts have no control over and do not set local property values.

A bond is similar to a home mortgage. It is a contract to repay borrowed money with an interest rate over time. A school district sells bonds to competing lenders to raise funds for construction, renovations, and equipment costs. The district does not receive funding from the state for the construction of new school buildings or facility improvements.

Bond money may be used for new schools and facilities, expansion and renovations of existing facilities, furniture, technology, equipment, buses, and new school sites.

Bond money can only be used for capital improvements and related costs. It may not be used for employee salaries, utilities, or other operating expenses.

New Braunfels ISD voters passed a $327.9 million bond referendum on November 2, 2021. A majority of the bond funding is being utilized to convert the Ninth Grade Center into Long Creek High School and build Phase 1 of the NBHS Replacement campus.

The recommendations to call a bond came from the Bond Planning Committee (FPC), composed of 64 diverse community members, employees, and parents. The BPC met in the Fall of 2023 and made their recommendation to the Board of Trustees in December 2023.

No. The property taxes of those 65 and older with a “65 and Older Homestead Exemption” would not be affected. Taxes of those receiving 65 and older homestead exemption are frozen at their present rate for as long as they own and occupy their home.

Phase 1 of NBHS, funded under the 2021 Bond program, is projected to be completed in the fall of 2025, and Phase 2 is projected to be finished in the Fall of 2027.

Yes. The NBISD Bond Planning Committee comprised more than 60 community members, employees, and parents. The committee members self-nominated themselves to serve on the volunteer committee, which met five times in the Fall of 2023.

The funding for School Safety and Security will include the installation of Intruder-resistant glass and entry vestibules; hardening of exterior gates and fencing; purchase of Raptor software for lockdowns; radios for the single emergency system; classroom door hardware; additional card readers; replacement of select exterior doors, fires alarms, and intercom systems.

No. The SRO’s salaries and their equipment will be paid for through the NBISD General Fund. NBISD has contracted with the City of New Braunfels Police Department for eight (8) SROs to be housed at each of NBISD’s four (4) secondary campuses with the remaining four rotating to all of the elementary schools. NBISD will pay 75% of the cost, with the City of New Braunfels covering the remaining 25%.

The decision was made to move these expenses into the bond to be paid with short-term bonds. Once the bonds are sold for these expenses, the repayment period will be five years for technology purchases and 10 years for transportation-related items. This will allow NBISD to repay the debt quicker and with less interest than traditional long-term bonds.

Yes. The majority of the information about the bond can be found on this website: www.nbisdbond24.org. NBISD will also host community forums to allow the taxpayers to hear about the proposed bond projects and ask questions.

Any registered voter residing within the school district boundaries can vote in the bond election.

The deadline for voter registration is April 4, 2024. If you are not registered to vote by this deadline, you are not eligible to vote in this election. You can get a voter registration application online by clicking here. You must be a resident of NBISD to vote in the bond election.

For more information, call (830) 643-5700 or email info@nbisd.org.

Yes. Growth has been steady in NBISD over the past few years, and for the first time, NBISD is bringing forward a bond program that does not include building a new school to address growth.

There is not a tax rate increase with this bond program. This means that NBISD will not increase the Interest & Sinking (I&S) Debt Service rate based on our current ability to borrow. Please note that if the appraisal value of your home increases based on the county’s determination, any increase in taxes will be based on the appraised value, not the tax rate, which will not change based on this bond program. Also, the Homestead Exemption was recently increased to $100,000.