TEXARKANA, Texas - Property owners in Pleasant Grove Independent School District will soon pay less in annual property taxes.
PGISD's Board of Trustees approved a tax rate of $1.38148 during a special meeting Thursday. The compressed rate is comprised of a maintenance and operations rate of $1.01648 and an interest and sinking rate of $0.365.
The lower rate is due to House Bill 3, passed during the most recent session of the Texas Legislature, which directed districts to compress the tax rate and gave the districts additional funding for teacher and staff salary increases.
The board also approved the 2019-20 budgets.
The $19,290,095 general fund budget is higher than last year's $17,351,879 budget. Derick Sibley, the district's director of finance, said it was higher due to an anticipated $2.3 million from the state for salary increases.
The board also approved a $3,305,025 debt service budget, a $697,067 food service budget and an $18 million capital outlay budget. Sibley said the capital outlay funds would be used for completion of the new elementary school.
In other business, the board also canceled the Nov. 5 trustee election, as three members ran unopposed for their respective seats. They are Place 1's Mark Addington, Place 2's Chris Barker and Place 3's Lorie Son. Addington was elected in May 2007, Barker was elected in November 2016 and Son was elected in May 2013. Cancelling the election will save the district approximately $5,500.
The board also approved an agreement with Southern Arkansas University Tech for 16 students who are enrolled in the aviation program. The college has operated the Texarkana Airframe and Powerplant School for several years. Other area schools are also included in the agreement. They are Arkansas High School, Texarkana ISD, Liberty-Eylau ISD and Ashdown High School.
The next regular meeting is scheduled for Sept. 12.