COUPLAND – Patrons of the Coupland Independent School District will see a voter-approved tax rate election this fall to close a funding gap resulting from the opening of a new campus.
Authorized by trustees during a June 25 session, the measure goes before the electorate Nov. 3 during the general election.
The decision was prompted by Superintendent Earl Parcell’s presentation Thursday of the district’s 2026-27 budget, which trustees also adopted.
Due to a state-reduced maximum compressed tax rate, Coupland ISD officials proposed a one-penny increase to the 2026-27 rate at $1.1732 per $100 property valuation, up from $1.1622 from last year, Parcell said.
“Expenses are increasing at a rate higher than revenue… (The cost) of everything went up,” he added.
The budget depends on several variables, such as student enrollment and appraisal figures, Parcell said.
“We won’t know our property value (rates) until July 25, but we believe we’ll have some growth based off the (preliminary) values,” Parcell said.
With the opening of the new Coupland Junior High and High School in August, the district may see a $200,000 deficit.
To offset these additional expenses, Parcell suggested adding the VATRE to this November’s ballot, despite the failure of a similar vote last year.
If successful, the VATRE would be used for maintenance and operation expenses, including additional costs associated with the new school.
A VATRE would also raise the district’s revenue by maximizing the amount of state and local funding available to Coupland ISD, officials said.
The next school board meeting is 6 p.m. July 16 in the school library at 620 S. Commerce St.
