COPPERAS COVE – For the seventh consecutive year, CCISD residents will see a lower tax rate.
Thursday, during a special meeting of the Copperas Cove ISD Board of Trustees, the board approved the tax rate for the coming fiscal year, which begins Monday. That sets the total tax rate at $0.7575 per $100 valuation, with all of it placed on the Maintenance & Operations (M&O) side of the budget.
The district paid off its 2005 bond funds on Aug. 15th, meaning the current Interest & Sinking (I&S) tax rate is $0.0000. This rate would only change with voter approval in a bond election.
On Sunday, the trustees approved the district's budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The approved budget sits at approximately $92 million for the coming year, with a deficit of about $358,000. That deficit is down from $2.6 million in the closing 2024-25 fiscal year and $6.5 million in 2023-24.
“Since my arrival as Superintendent, one thing that we have worked to do as an administration is improve our processes,” said Superintendent Dr. Brent Hawkins. “Through our work to align staffing with programs and student enrollment, we’ve been able to not only decrease the budget deficit but provide raises to every employee for the first time in two years.”
Key points in the budget include $130,000 in instructional capital outlay, as the district continues to work toward improving instructional facility equity for every student in Copperas Cove. Additionally, the budget reflects an overall decrease in total salaries through staffing studies and alignment efforts.
There is also a decrease in supplies or travel in various functions across the district, in order to work toward a balanced budget.
“I hope our community sees that we have done everything we can to be good stewards of their tax dollars,” said Chief Financial Officer Cliff Heath. “We will continue our work to ensure we align our budget with the priorities the trustees and community have set for our district to the best of our ability.”
Other items trustees approved Thursday include reimbursing the Child Nutrition department $88,496.22 out of fund balance to cover negative student meal balances, as required by Federal law. Trustees also approved an agreement with Lamar Institute of Technology and Lamar State College-Port Arthur to further dual credit opportunities for students in CCISD.
The trustees are next scheduled to hold their regular September workshop and meeting. The September workshop is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 8th with the regular meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 22nd, both in the Board Room at the District Service & Training Center on South Main Street.
Agendas for Board of Trustees meetings are posted outside the District Service & Training Center three business days prior to the meeting. Once posted, they can be viewed on the Board Meetings page of the district website.