Our district has the lowest tax rate in Dallas County
By Leslie Melson HPISD Board President
This is the time of year when many of us are writing checks for our local property taxes.
For HPISD taxpayers, that annual expense is considerably smaller than it would be without exemptions provided by the school board. Thanks to locally approved homestead exemptions, the average HPISD homeowner is saving $2,704 this year.
Here's how the calculation works: The average HPISD residence has a market value of $1.2 million. The 20 percent exemption means a $240,000 reduction in the taxable property value for that home. When you apply the tax rate ($1.1267 per $100 tax valuation), it translates into a savings of $2,704 for the average homeowner.
Despite the financial pressures HPISD faces, the school board has maintained the maximum exemption because of its commitment to its citizens and its realization that the majority of our tax dollars do not stay here in HPISD. There are only two other school districts in Dallas County that offer a local option homestead exemption: Dallas ISD and Richardson ISD, both at 10 percent.
HPISD: the lowest tax rate in Dallas County
In addition to offering a homestead exemption, the HPISD School Board believes in keeping our tax rates low. This year's tax rate is $1.1267 per $100 taxable valuation, making HPISD's tax rate the lowest of the 16 school districts in Dallas County. Dallas ISD's tax rate is $1.282085, and Richardson ISD's is $1.34005.
Click here for a full list of the 16 Dallas County school district tax rates.
Below is a chart of tax rates for area school districts in 2012 and 2013:
Although the Local Option Homestead Exemption is a thing of the past for most other school districts, we believe that providing the maximum savings for our citizens is the right thing to do. We work hard to continue in the spirit of support, trust and conservative fiscal stewardship that has made this district a great place to live and educate children for nearly 100 years.
Leslie Melson was elected to the HPISD Board of Trustees in 2006, and she has served as Board President since 2010.
This is the third in a series of columns that will be published this school year to keep the community informed. To read the column by Board Finance Office Joe Taylor on HPISD enrollment growth, click HERE. To read the column by Trustee Kelly Walker on HPISD's facility needs, click HERE.
