Tax Ratification Election
Frisco ISD seeks to swap pennies from the portion of the tax rate that pays for debt to the portion that pays for operations. This would generate millions of dollars in additional operational funding to address recommendations made by an advisory group, while lowering the total property tax rate for taxpayers by two cents.
On the ballot, voters will be asked whether to ratify a 13-cent increase to the maintenance and operations (M&O) portion of the tax rate. If approved, a Board-adopted resolution will simultaneously lower the interest and sinking (I&S) tax rate after the election. The total tax rate will be $1.44 per $100 valuation, two cents lower than the 2017 tax rate of $1.46 per $100 valuation, despite reference to $1.57 on the ballot.
Operating Recommendations
Operational revenue from the proposed tax swap would be used to address items recommended by the Facilities and Programs Evaluation Committee that fall outside the scope of a bond program. The total cost of all of the committee’s recommendations, including the M&O costs associated with the proposed bond program, would require more than 16 pennies of M&O tax effort. However, because FISD can only raise the M&O tax rate by 13 cents, not all of the recommendations could be immediately implemented. If the TRE passes, Frisco ISD leaders would work with members of the Long-Range Planning Committee to prioritize the recommendations and develop plans to address them using available funds.
Fund projected operating costs related to recommended bond program
Possible Scope: Additional staff and operational costs for new facilities*, vehicles and programs; Outsource groundskeeping to allow maintenance department to focus on preventative maintenance
Projected Cost: $27.715 million
Estimated M&O Pennies: 3.30
Areas Addressed: New Construction to Support Growth, Student Opportunity, Additional Safety & Security, Facility Maintenance, Refresh & Renewal, Future-Ready Learning, Recruitment & Retention
Note: *Basic operating costs for new schools (staffing, utilities and supplies) will eventually be offset by formula funding once enrollment in those schools reaches capacity
Class size reduction at all levels
Possible Scope: Reduce staffing ratios to 22:1 (K-4), 25:1 (5) and 26:1 average (6-12)
Projected Cost: $10.8 million
Estimated M&O Pennies: 4.70
Areas Addressed: Student Opportunity, Future-Ready Learning
Additional personnel for student intervention
Possible Scope: Additional counselor at each high school; additional security specialists
Projected Cost: $1 million
Estimated M&O Pennies: 0.43
Areas Addressed: Additional Safety & Security
Expanded choice programs
Possible Scope: Add additional campuses to the AVID program; Expand online learning opportunities; Expand academies; expand STEM opportunities at the elementary level
Projected Cost: $4.58 million
Estimated M&O Pennies: 1.99
Areas Addressed: Student Opportunity, Future-Ready Learning
Expanded early childhood and Pre-Kindergarten programs
Possible Scope: Increase capacity of early childhood program; expand Pre-K opportunities to full day
Projected Cost: $2.18 million
Estimated M&O Pennies: 0.95
Areas Addressed: Student Opportunity, Future-Ready Learning
Modified block scheduling at the middle school level
Possible Scope: Alternative scheduling options
Projected Cost: $1.275 million
Estimated M&O Pennies: 0.55
Areas Addressed: Student Opportunity, Future-Ready Learning
More competitive compensation
Possible Scope: Additional 1 percent built into baseline raises to increase raises from 2 percent to 3 percent annually; increase health premium contributions
Projected Cost: $7 million
Estimated M&O Pennies: 3.04
Areas Addressed: Recruitment & Retention
Additional professional campus & District support staff
Possible Scope: Increase support staff to teacher ratio by approximately 1.5 percent (FISD’s ratio of support staff to teachers is approximately 3 percent behind peer districts)
Projected Cost: $3 million
Estimated M&O Pennies: 1.30
Areas Addressed: Recruitment & Retention
District Benchmarking
2017 Tax Rate Comparison
As shown below, based on 2017 tax rates, a tax rate of $1.44 per $100 valuation gives Frisco ISD a tie for the second lowest tax rate among school districts in Collin County and the fourth lowest rate in Denton County. The maximum tax rate allowed under state law is $1.67 per $100 valuation.
| District | County | M&O | I&S | Total Tax Rate | Tax on a $300,000 Homestead |
| Anna | Collin | 1.17 | 0.50 | 1.67 | 4,592.50 |
| Lake Dallas | Denton | 1.17 | 0.50 | 1.67 | 4,592.50 |
| Lovejoy | Collin | 1.17 | 0.50 | 1.67 | 4,592.50 |
| Melissa | Collin | 1.17 | 0.50 | 1.67 | 4,592.50 |
| Prosper | Collin/Denton | 1.17 | 0.50 | 1.67 | 4,592.50 |
| Celina | Collin/Denton | 1.14 | 0.50 | 1.64 | 4,510.00 |
| Wylie | Collin | 1.17 | 0.47 | 1.64 | 4,510.00 |
| Community | Collin | 1.17 | 0.46 | 1.63 | 4,468.75 |
| McKinney | Collin | 1.17 | 0.45 | 1.62 | 4,455.00 |
| Princeton | Collin | 1.17 | 0.45 | 1.62 | 4,455.00 |
| Allen | Collin | 1.14 | 0.45 | 1.59 | 4,372.50 |
| Argyle | Denton | 1.10 | 0.49 | 1.59 | 4,358.89 |
| Blue Ridge | Collin | 1.17 | 0.40 | 1.57 | 4,321.60 |
| Denton | Denton | 1.06 | 0.48 | 1.54 | 4,235.00 |
| Krum | Denton | 1.17 | 0.37 | 1.54 | 4,235.00 |
| Little Elm | Denton | 1.17 | 0.37 | 1.54 | 4,235.00 |
| Aubrey | Denton | 1.17 | 0.34 | 1.51 | 4,152.50 |
| Northwest | Denton | 1.04 | 0.45 | 1.49 | 4,097.50 |
| Ponder | Denton | 1.04 | 0.43 | 1.47 | 4,036.42 |
| Frisco (2017) | Collin/Denton | 1.04 | 0.42 | 1.46 | 4,015.00 |
| Frisco (2018) | Collin/Denton | 1.17 | 0.27 | 1.44 | 3,960.00
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| Plano | Collin | 1.17 | 0.27 | 1.44 | 3,957.25 |
| Lewisville | Denton | 1.04 | 0.37 | 1.41 | 3,870.63 |
| Farmersville | Collin | 1.17 | 0.22 | 1.39 | 3,822.50 |
| Sanger | Denton | 1.17 | 0.20 | 1.37 | 3,773.18 |
| Pilot Point | Denton | 1.17 | 0.20 | 1.37 | 3,767.50 |
View Frisco ISD tax rate history
Spending Comparison
