Tax & Financial Information

Public school taxes involve two figures which divide the school district’s budget into two “buckets.” 

The first is the Maintenance & Operations (M&O) budget, also known as the General Fund. This is used to pay for the day-to-day operations of a district and includes items such as salaries, utilities, food, gas, supplies, etc. Approximately 81% of the M&O budget is spent on salaries and benefits for district personnel.

The second is the Interest & Sinking (I&S) budget or Debt Service. This fund is used to repay debt for capital improvements approved by voters through bond elections. As a comparison, this fund is similar to a mortgage or home improvement loan. I&S funds may only be used to repay debt. Unlike M&O funds, I&S dollars are not subject to recapture, meaning all bond funds stay within Comal ISD.

Funds from a bond issue can be used for the construction and renovation of facilities, the acquisition of land and the purchase of capital items, such as equipment, technology and transportation. By law, I&S funds cannot be used for the M&O budget, which means voter-approved bonds cannot be used to increase salaries or to pay rising costs of utilities or services. 

Comal ISD’s current M&O rate is $0.9246 and the I&S rate is $0.35, for a total district tax rate of $1.2746 per $100 of property value. 

Taxpayers will not see an increase to the school district tax rate if voters approve the bond propositions on the May ballot. 

The bond proposal is for $634,659,847, but due Comal ISD’s conservative fiscal approach and increasing property values (determined by the appraisal district), there will be no tax rate increase as a result of this bond election. 

However, a new state law now requires every school district to include the statement “THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE” on the ballot, even when the district is not expecting a rate increase. This is because the issuance of new bonds increases the term of the debt repayment at the current tax rate. If all propositions are approved by voters, the CISD tax rate would not increase. 

A few other factors contribute to Comal ISD’s ability to issue bonds without increasing the district’s tax rate: 

• Consistent 35 cent I&S tax rate – this has been the same since 2014 and allows the district to take on manageable debt on a consistent schedule to take care of facility needs beyond what can be afforded within the maintenance and operations budget. 
• Paying Down Debt - CISD has a solid debt repayment plan in which the maximum maturity on debt issued is 30 years. 

Homestead Exemptions

For residents 65-years and older, school district tax bills will not increase, even if their property values increase (excluding significant property improvements) as long as an approved Homestead and Over-65 Exemption application is on file with the appropriate county appraisal district, and the property has been owned as of Jan. 1 of the tax year. 

For more information about Homestead and Over-65 Exemptions, call your county appraisals district or visit their website:

Comal County: 
830-625-8597 
https://comalad.org/

Bexar County:
210-224-8511
https://www.bcad.org/

Hays County: 
512-268-2522
https://hayscad.com/

Guadalupe County:
830-303-3313
http://www.guadalupead.org/

Kendall County: 
830-249-8012
https://kendallad.org/ 

50-Cent Debt Test

School districts must demonstrate to the Texas Attorney General that, with respect to the proposed bonds, the district has the projected ability to pay the principal and interest on the proposed, as well as outstanding bonds, from a tax rate not to exceed $0.50. Comal passes this test.