The Houston Independent School District (HISD) Board of Managers will vote on Wednesday on a proposal to slightly raise property taxes to help recover from Hurricane Beryl’s destruction.
According to a draft resolution, the plan would raise the tax rate by nearly three cents — from $0.8489 to $0.8783 per $100 of taxable property value. The district would use what Texas law refers to as “disaster pennies”, a special allowance enabling school districts to address disaster-related expenses without requiring voter approval.
Under the proposal:
- $0.7116 would go toward operational costs
- $0.1667 would cover bond debt (interest and sinking rate)
While HISD initially said it wouldn’t use disaster pennies, the growing financial burden of storm repairs has forced reconsideration. The district hasn’t yet disclosed how much additional revenue the new rate would generate.
Documents show that Hurricane Beryl caused around $9.4 million in damages, while an earlier May derecho storm added another $6.4 million in repair costs.
HISD’s facilities and maintenance teams continue to assess damage, while the district pursues insurance claims, FEMA aid, and other funding sources, including potential state and federal disaster grants.
In a statement to board members, HISD said:
“We have submitted insurance claims and applied for FEMA assistance to help cover storm-related damages. We are also exploring other funding options beyond FEMA.”
Ongoing repair projects include roof replacements at Park Place Elementary School and a facility on Mesa Street near North Forest High School.
Officials warn the recovery process could be lengthy — HISD’s claim from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 wasn’t finalized until 2024, noted Alexis Licata, the district’s Deputy Chief of Finance and Operations.
