During the September Regular Board meeting, RISD Trustees reviewed several information items and took action on other items.
See the highlights and presentations for these topics:
2027 Legislative Priorities
The Board reviewed a draft of RISD’s 2027 Legislative Priorities, focused on three key areas: promoting the responsible use of technology and AI, closing critical funding gaps, and reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens.
While the most recent legislative session provided additional funding in areas such as school safety and teacher pay, RISD continues to use local funds to cover significant costs associated with state requirements. For the 2026–27 school year, RISD is contributing approximately $39.8 million from its general fund to meet state-mandated needs, including special education, safety and security, transportation, Pre-K, gifted and talented services, and dyslexia support.
As part of the drafting process, RISD gathered input through community roundtables with PTAs, local chambers of commerce, higher education partners and other community organizations. That input helped shape the district’s three legislative priorities:
- Promote responsible use of technology and AI by supporting age-appropriate approaches to screen time and providing resources and guidance for the thoughtful use of artificial intelligence in education.
- Close critical funding gaps by increasing state support for areas such as special education, school safety and basic education costs, while providing greater flexibility to respond to unexpected enrollment changes.
- Reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens by simplifying reporting requirements and clarifying or streamlining certain state requirements that affect schools and staff.
The Board is expected to vote on the final Legislative Priorities on October 15. Following that vote, RISD will engage legislators, families, staff and community partners to build a shared voice around the district’s priorities ahead of the next legislative session this spring.
Tax Rate Adoption
The Board voted to approve the 2026–2027 property tax rate of $1.1319 per $100 of valuation. The district’s certified taxable property value totals $35.56 billion across 65,526 parcels, with residential properties representing 50.6% of the total value and commercial properties accounting for the remaining 49.4%.
For 2026–2027, 29% of residential property accounts qualify for an over-65 tax levy freeze, which helps protect eligible homeowners from increases in the school district’s property tax levy. The current-year reappraisal rate from the Dallas Central Appraisal District is 73.7%.
The adopted tax rate of $1.1319 per $100 of property value is $0.0267 higher than last year’s rate. This includes a reduction in the Maintenance & Operations (M&O) rate to $0.7419, a decrease of $0.0133 and the lowest M&O rate in 42 years. At the same time, the Interest & Sinking (I&S) rate, which supports debt service, increased by $0.0400 to $0.3900.
We are grateful for the community’s support for Bond 2025 and we assure the community that RISD will remain responsible with our available funding resources.
District Improvement Plan:
The Board received a presentation on the 2026–27 District Improvement Plan, which serves as RISD’s roadmap for continuous improvement and aligns directly to our North Star Goal, Graduate Profile and Strategic Plan. Developed with input from the District Planning Committee, which includes parents, community leaders and staff, the plan outlines five priorities for the year: supporting student and staff growth; recruiting and retaining a high-quality, diverse workforce; providing high-quality classroom instruction; strengthening family and community engagement; and ensuring responsible stewardship of district resources.
District and campus plans include specific strategies and measures to move these priorities forward. Progress will be monitored using student performance data, surveys, focus groups and other measures, including House Bill 3 early childhood and college-readiness goals. Throughout the year, district and campus teams will regularly review data, identify areas for growth and adjust strategies as needed to better support our students and staff.
RISD will continue to keep the community informed about district progress and the support available at each campus as we work together to help every student succeed.
Lastly, the Board approved the inaugural Richardson ISD Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC), an advisory group that will help provide transparency and accountability throughout the implementation of Bond 2025 projects. The committee brings together representatives from the Community Budget Steering Committee, Bond 2025 Steering Committee and at-large community members. Members will help monitor progress and provide community perspective as RISD moves forward with these important investments in our schools and students. We invite our community to stay connected and follow the progress of Bond 2025 by visiting the 2025 Bond webpage, where you can find the latest updates, project information and more.
For more information about this month’s board meeting, including district recognitions, please watch the September Board video recap presented by Trustee Rachel McGowan.
