The Azle Independent School District other Tarrant County school systems felt no reprieve for their on-going worries concerning a future loss of funding.
In August, the Tarrant Appraisal board voted to transition from reappraising property values every year to every other year, putting a two-year freeze on current property values in the county. In doing this, board members projected taxpayers were likely to pay less over the next year, but a possibly unintended consequence has since reared its head. At least eight school districts — Azle, Castleberry, Everman, Fort Worth, Kennedale, Grapevine-Colleyville, Carroll and Northwest ISDs — have been notified this decision could put them at risk of losing critical state funding.
At least once every two years, the state comptroller estimates taxable property values in each school district to ensure local appraisal districts are assessing home prices at market value in an attempt to promote equality in school funding. Discrepancies between the values found by county appraisal districts and the state can cause a reduction in the funds sent to schools. Six of the at-risk districts put forward resolutions prior to the March 12 TAD meeting, asking the board to readdress the decision.
