NISD board weighs $886M bond, $1.0349 tax rate; decisions not yet published
The Northside Independent School District Board of Trustees met twice in the past two weeks to consider a proposed $886 million bond election, a $1.0349 tax rate, and an $84 million debt defeasance. However, minutes from these meetings have not yet been published, so no official decisions are confirmed. The board is scheduled to meet again on Aug. 25 to act on a final budget amendment and fund balance commitments.
Bond and tax rate proposals
At called meetings on Aug. 11 and Aug. 17, the board considered several major financial items. The proposed 2026-2027 tax rate is $1.0349 per $100 valuation, split into $0.6994 for maintenance and operations (M&O) and $0.3355 for interest and sinking (I&S). The board also discussed a voter-approval tax rate election to raise the M&O rate by $0.03, which would generate $46 million in state and local revenue.
The bond election would total $886,245,000, with three propositions: $764,745,000 for general purposes, $56,000,000 for instructional technology, and $65,500,000 for natatoriums, including the replacement of the George Block Aquatics Center. The board also considered a resolution to defease at least $84,000,000 in outstanding bonded debt using 2026-27 I&S tax collections.
These actions require a 60% record vote (5 of 7 trustees) to pass. The Aug. 11 agenda included a public hearing on the budget and proposed tax rate, while the Aug. 17 agenda included adoption of the 2026-2027 budgets for the General, Child Nutrition, and Debt Service Funds.
Building committee review
On Aug. 14, the Board Building Committee reviewed contractor selections for several districtwide projects, including door numbering, library modernization, and window security film for high, middle, and elementary schools. The committee also reviewed change orders and received construction and engineering status reports. No consultant appointments or construction delivery methods were on the agenda.
Upcoming Aug. 25 meeting
The board will hold a regular meeting on Aug. 25. The agenda includes approval of the final budget amendment for FY 2025-2026, a resolution committing fund balances, and contractor approvals for the same door numbering, library modernization, and window security film projects reviewed by the building committee.
Coming up
- **Aug. 25, 2026** – Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees. Agenda includes final budget amendment, fund balance commitment, and contractor approvals. This is the next opportunity for the public to observe board decisions.
All meeting details are from official agendas and minutes. Minutes for the Aug. 11, Aug. 14, and Aug. 17 meetings have not yet been published, so the outcomes of those discussions are not confirmed.