Brownwood ISD taxpayers will see their property tax bills drop if the proposed tax rate gets ratified on August 25. Deputy Superintendent Kevin Gabaree reported to the school board Monday night that the district’s proposed tax rate of $1.2547 per $100 valuation represents a five cent drop in the total tax rate.

“The decrease is due to old debt being paid off,” Gabaree said. Under the proposed tax rate, the Maintenance and Operations tax rate, from which the school funds day-to-day operations, will be $1.04 per $100 valuation, while the Interest and Sinking tax rate, from which the district pays back its bonds, will be reduced to $0.2147 per $100 valuation. The result is that a resident who owns a $75,000 home would pay $37.50 less in property taxes next year.

The school board voted 3-0 to propose the tax rate of $1.2547 per $100 valuation, with Brad Jetton abstaining, and Roderick Jones and Lisa Fowler absent.  The school board will take up the matter again at the end of the month for final approval.

In other business, the board approved the student code of conduct, approved a workers’ compensation insurance policy from Higginbotham Insurance at a cost of $89,500, approved a property insurance policy from the Texas Association of Public Schools at a cost of $130,634, ordered a school board election for Nov. 4, and voted to increase school lunch prices by 10 cents. The school lunch price increase is mandated by the federal government.