HEB ISD approves $250 million budget, sets tax rate and orders November voter-approval election
August 12, 2025 | HURST-EULESS-BEDFORD ISD, School Districts, Texas
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The Hirsh Hills Bedford Independent School District Board of Trustees on Aug. 11 approved a $250,000,000 revenue and expenditure budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year, adopted a combined tax rate of 1.0289 and ordered a voter-approval tax-rate election for Nov. 4, 2025.
The budget vote covered the district’s general fund, child nutrition fund and debt service fund. “Our total revenue for the year for our budget is a $250,000,000 budget,” Steven Jones, the district finance presenter, said during the hearing. He told trustees the budget assumes a slight drop in projected enrollment and factors in local property values and state funding formulas.
The board’s action to set the maintenance-and-operations rate at 0.7026 and the debt-service rate at 0.3263 produces a combined tax rate of 1.0289. Trustees explained the 0.7026 M&O rate includes three “VADER” pennies that require voter approval. Because the adopted rate exceeds the voter-approval tax-rate threshold in state truth-in-taxation calculations, trustees adopted a resolution to hold a voter-approval election Nov. 4, 2025.
Why it matters: Trustees said the election is necessary to preserve staff pay and programs as state funding and rising costs place pressure on local budgets. “Calling VADER… honestly, is not my first choice, but it is the appropriate thing in this particular situation because without it, we cannot remaintain the quality of education our community expects,” a trustee identified in the record as Dr. Begin said.
Supporting details: The budget presentation shows roughly 85% of expenditures are payroll, with nearly 60% of total spending for instruction. The child nutrition budget of $18,000,281 includes about $1.6 million in capital purchases and maintains a fund balance equating to roughly 4½ months of operating expenditures. The debt-service budget lists about $40.5 million in principal and $36.6 million in interest for 2025–26; trustees were told a portion of the fund balance may be used to cover shortfalls if needed.
Legal/technical steps: Board staff said the district complied with publication requirements (the proposed budget was published July 31) and noted TEA, truth-in-taxation calculations and GASB 54 classifications in discussion of fund balance and reporting. Trustees also approved the formal order calling the Nov. 4 election as required when an adopted rate exceeds the voter-approval threshold.
Discussion vs. decisions: Much of the hearing was informational; the formal decisions were the budget adoption, adoption of the tax rate and the motion to order the voter-approval election. Trustees asked for and received clarifications on revenue assumptions, homestead exemption impacts and projected use of fund balances.
What comes next: With the budget and tax rate adopted, the district will proceed with election preparations for Nov. 4. Board members said they will provide additional budget detail in follow-up materials and that the financial audit will be shared when completed.
Ending: The board closed the budget hearing after no members of the public registered to speak.
The budget vote covered the district’s general fund, child nutrition fund and debt service fund. “Our total revenue for the year for our budget is a $250,000,000 budget,” Steven Jones, the district finance presenter, said during the hearing. He told trustees the budget assumes a slight drop in projected enrollment and factors in local property values and state funding formulas.
The board’s action to set the maintenance-and-operations rate at 0.7026 and the debt-service rate at 0.3263 produces a combined tax rate of 1.0289. Trustees explained the 0.7026 M&O rate includes three “VADER” pennies that require voter approval. Because the adopted rate exceeds the voter-approval tax-rate threshold in state truth-in-taxation calculations, trustees adopted a resolution to hold a voter-approval election Nov. 4, 2025.
Why it matters: Trustees said the election is necessary to preserve staff pay and programs as state funding and rising costs place pressure on local budgets. “Calling VADER… honestly, is not my first choice, but it is the appropriate thing in this particular situation because without it, we cannot remaintain the quality of education our community expects,” a trustee identified in the record as Dr. Begin said.
Supporting details: The budget presentation shows roughly 85% of expenditures are payroll, with nearly 60% of total spending for instruction. The child nutrition budget of $18,000,281 includes about $1.6 million in capital purchases and maintains a fund balance equating to roughly 4½ months of operating expenditures. The debt-service budget lists about $40.5 million in principal and $36.6 million in interest for 2025–26; trustees were told a portion of the fund balance may be used to cover shortfalls if needed.
Legal/technical steps: Board staff said the district complied with publication requirements (the proposed budget was published July 31) and noted TEA, truth-in-taxation calculations and GASB 54 classifications in discussion of fund balance and reporting. Trustees also approved the formal order calling the Nov. 4 election as required when an adopted rate exceeds the voter-approval threshold.
Discussion vs. decisions: Much of the hearing was informational; the formal decisions were the budget adoption, adoption of the tax rate and the motion to order the voter-approval election. Trustees asked for and received clarifications on revenue assumptions, homestead exemption impacts and projected use of fund balances.
What comes next: With the budget and tax rate adopted, the district will proceed with election preparations for Nov. 4. Board members said they will provide additional budget detail in follow-up materials and that the financial audit will be shared when completed.
Ending: The board closed the budget hearing after no members of the public registered to speak.
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