Tax Rate Information
TAX INFORMATION
Did you know the Duncanville ISD tax rate has gone down every year for the past five years? The District is committed to ensuring continued fiscal responsibility to the community by only asking voter approval of a bond that maintained the total tax rate at an amount equal to or below the previous year's tax rate.
SCHOOL TAXES INCLUDE TWO TAX RATES
The Texas public school tax rate is made up of two separate rates, which divide the school district's budget into two “buckets.”
The first bucket is the Maintenance and Operations budget (M&O), which funds daily costs and recurring or consumable expenditures such as teacher and staff salaries, supplies, food and utilities. Approximately 86 percent of the district’s M&O budget goes to teacher and staff salaries.
The second bucket is the Interest and Sinking Fund (I&S), also known as Debt Service, and that is used to repay debt for capital improvements approved by voters through bond elections. Proceeds 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 infrastructure. By law, I&S funds cannot be used to pay M&O expenses, which means that voter-approved bonds cannot be used to increase teacher salaries and/or pay rising costs for utilities and services.
With the 2023 bond proposition approved by voters in November, the current I&S tax rate may increase from $0.32 to $0.3685. However, the total tax rate will be reduced due to state compression of the M&O tax rate. Additionally, the state's homestead exemption increased from $40,000 to $100,000 in November. With the Duncanville ISD bond package and the homestead exemption both being approved by voters, the total tax rate will be no more than $1.1313 per $100 of assessed property value which is lower than the current total tax rate of $1.2529 per $100 of assessed property value.
TAX CEILING FOR RESIDENTS OVER 65
Duncanville ISD property taxes for citizens age 65 or older will not be affected by this – or any – school bond as long as a homestead and over 65 exemption application have been filed with the local appraisal district. 
According to state law, the dollar amount of school taxes imposed on the residence homestead of a person 65 years of age or older cannot be increased above the amount paid in the first year after the person turned 65 regardless of changes in tax rate or property value unless improvements are made to the home.
Learn more about the Over 65 Exemption on the Comptroller’s website.
Visit the Dallas Central Appraisal District’s website for an application.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my tax bill higher if the tax rate has gone down?
Even though the Duncanville ISD tax rate has gone down every year for the past five years, your taxes are or may be higher due to the overall property value growth, not the tax rate. Your home value is set by the Dallas Central Appraisal District, and when your home value increases, so does your bill.