The Harlingen CISD Board of Trustees has approved a one-year disaster tax rate adjustment to help address critical facility needs following the severe flooding that impacted Harlingen and surrounding communities in March 2025.
The severe storms and flooding that began March 27, 2025, brought heavy rainfall and flash flooding across the region. Governor Greg Abbott subsequently issued a disaster declaration that included Cameron County after the event caused widespread property damage.
HCISD facilities were also impacted, with both exterior and interior damage identified across the district. District officials have identified approximately $4.8 million in high-priority facility needs, for several schools, including re-roofing projects, roof drain repairs, interior ceiling repairs, and air-conditioning replacements of several roof top units at both comprehensive high schools.
“This is about taking care of the schools our community has entrusted to us and making sure our students and employees continue to have safe, reliable places to learn and work,” Superintendent Dr. Veronica Kortan said. “We recognize that any increase in property taxes matters to our families. That is why it is important for us to be very clear about the purpose of these funds, the impact to homeowners and the fact that this adjustment is for one year.”
The Board approved a disaster adjustment of $0.0317 per $100 of taxable property value. The temporary adjustment is expected to generate approximately $3 million, which will allow HCISD to begin addressing a portion of the district’s identified facility needs.
Texas law provides school districts with a mechanism to adopt a higher tax rate when increased expenditures are necessary to respond to a qualifying disaster. Under Texas Tax Code Section 26.042, a school district disaster rate adopted under this provision applies only for the year in which it is adopted.
For an HCISD home with the district’s average market value of approximately $202,000, the projected increase is about $20 for the entire year after the $140,000 homestead exemption is applied.
The average market value of a home in HCISD is approximately $202,931. With a $140,000 homestead exemption, the taxable value used in the district’s projection is $62,931. At that value, estimated HCISD property taxes would increase from approximately $578 to $598 for the year.
The district’s total tax rate is projected to move from $0.9182 to $0.9499 per $100 of taxable value for the one-year period.
The temporary increase also comes after several years of significant reductions in HCISD’s overall tax rate. Since 2018, the district’s total tax rate has declined from $1.3180 to $0.9182, a reduction of nearly 40 cents. Even with the one-year disaster adjustment, the projected $0.9499 rate remains well below the rates HCISD had in place from 2018 through 2023.
Homeowners age 65 and older with frozen exemptions will not see an increase in their HCISD taxes as a result of the adjustment.
Board President Eladio Jaimez said trustees carefully considered both the district’s facility needs and the impact the decision would have on taxpayers.
“This was not a decision the Board took lightly,” Jaimez said. “We understand that every dollar matters to the families and taxpayers we serve. At the same time, we have a responsibility to protect our schools and address significant facility needs following the flooding. This is a one-year response to a declared disaster, and we will continue to be transparent with our community about how these dollars are used.”
Jaimez currently serves as president of the Harlingen CISD Board of Trustees.
The approximately $3 million generated by the adjustment will not cover all of the district’s identified needs. HCISD administrators reported approximately $4.8 million in high-priority work during the Board discussion, underscoring the need to prioritize projects based on facility conditions and urgency.
“Our taxpayers have seen the HCISD tax rate come down significantly over the last several years,” Kortan said. “As we respond to the effects of this disaster, our commitment is to use these temporary resources responsibly, focus them on critical needs and keep our community informed throughout the process.”
HCISD remains grounded in its heart for people and commitment to excellence. These facility improvements are part of that responsibility, ensuring students and employees have safe, dependable learning environments while protecting the community’s investment in its schools.
