For homeowners in Tavola West, New Caney ISD’s newly adopted property tax rate comes with an important distinction: the rate is going down, even as the district expects to collect more property tax revenue for day-to-day school operations.

The New Caney Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a 2026 total tax rate of $1.2393 per $100 of taxable property value during its Aug. 17 meeting. That includes a maintenance and operations, or M&O, rate of $0.7393 and a debt service rate of $0.5000.

The M&O rate is lower than last year’s $0.7552 rate, while the debt service rate remains unchanged at 50 cents.

Still, New Caney ISD is required to notify taxpayers that this year’s levy for maintenance and operations will exceed last year’s. The district posted the required notice Aug. 21 stating that the adopted tax rate “will raise more taxes for maintenance and operations than last year's tax rate.”

That may sound contradictory at first. The explanation comes down largely to property values.

Why Can New Caney ISD Lower the Tax Rate but Collect More Taxes?

The distinction between a tax rate and a tax levy is important for residents trying to understand the New Caney ISD property tax change.

The tax rate determines how much is charged for every $100 of taxable property value. The tax levy represents the total amount the district expects to collect across all taxable property.

New Caney ISD’s M&O tax rate declined by 1.59 cents per $100 of taxable value, from $0.7552 to $0.7393. But because the district’s overall taxable property base has grown, applying that lower rate to a larger pool of taxable value can still generate more revenue.

That point came up directly during the Aug. 17 board discussion.

When a trustee questioned the wording surrounding the required tax-rate motion, district officials explained that the rate itself was being reduced even though increasing property values would generate additional revenue.

For a homeowner whose taxable value remained exactly the same, the M&O rate reduction alone represents a decrease of about $15.90 for every $100,000 of taxable value compared with last year.

A home with $300,000 in taxable value, for example, would see about $47.70 less attributable to that rate reduction if all other factors remained unchanged.

That does not mean every homeowner’s actual New Caney ISD tax bill will decline. Individual tax bills also depend on taxable property values, applicable exemptions and other circumstances specific to the property.

For families in Tavola West, that makes the taxable value shown on a property’s appraisal record just as important as the district’s tax rate when estimating what may ultimately be owed.

New Caney ISD Adopts Balanced General Fund Budget

The tax-rate vote was part of a larger financial package for the 2026-27 school year.

During the public hearing, New Caney ISD officials presented a balanced general fund budget of approximately $243.9 million, with revenues and expenditures projected at roughly the same level.

The district expects the largest portion of its general fund revenue — approximately $176.7 million — to come from the state.

Instruction represents the largest expenditure category at approximately $141.5 million, meaning a substantial portion of the district’s operating budget is directed toward the classroom and instructional programs.

Budget assumptions presented to trustees included approximately $8.34 billion in property value, a 97.5% tax collection rate, the $0.7393 M&O rate and projected average daily attendance of 18,280 students.

Trustees unanimously approved the general fund, child nutrition and debt service budgets, followed by unanimous approval of the 2026 tax rate. Draft meeting minutes confirm the board adopted the $0.7393 M&O rate and $0.5000 debt service rate by a 6-0 vote; Trustee Creg Mixon had not yet arrived when those votes occurred.

District Budget Tops $315 Million Across Three Major Funds

When a trustee asked about the district’s overall budget during the public hearing, officials said the general fund, child nutrition fund and debt service fund together totaled approximately $315.1 million.

The child nutrition fund includes about $15.7 million in revenue and $16.8 million in expenditures, creating an approximately $1.1 million planned shortfall associated in part with capital improvements. Federal funding accounts for the majority of child nutrition revenue.

The debt service fund is balanced at approximately $54.9 million, with property taxes accounting for roughly $43.7 million of its revenue.

Debt service is the portion of the school tax rate used to meet obligations associated with voter-approved district debt. New Caney ISD kept that portion of its tax rate at $0.50 per $100 valuation for 2026.

Nearly 19,500 Students Are Now Enrolled in New Caney ISD

The financial decisions come as New Caney ISD continues serving a growing student population.

During his superintendent’s report at the Aug. 17 meeting, Superintendent Matt Calvert told trustees that enrollment had reached 19,454 students as of that day, with approximately 10,000 students riding district buses.

The district also began the year with only 14 teacher vacancies, according to Calvert, about half of them in special education.

Growth is visible in New Caney ISD’s physical footprint as well.

New facilities and improvements have been coming online across the district, including a new fieldhouse and covered practice area at New Caney High School, a new turf football field at Porter High School and covered practice facilities at West Fork High School.

Calvert also noted during the meeting that the covered practice facilities are not reserved solely for athletics. Bands, cheer teams, drill teams and other extracurricular programs can use them as campuses schedule the spaces.

That broader context matters because school finance is ultimately about more than a rate printed on a tax statement. It determines how a rapidly growing school district pays teachers, operates campuses, transports students, maintains facilities and supports academic and extracurricular programs.

What the New Caney ISD Tax Rate Means for Tavola West

For local taxpayers, the most useful takeaway is that two things can be true at the same time: New Caney ISD lowered its tax rate, and New Caney ISD expects its M&O tax levy to produce more revenue.

The adopted total rate fell from $1.2552 to $1.2393 per $100 of taxable value, assuming last year’s 50-cent debt service rate alongside the previously reported $0.7552 M&O rate.

That is an overall decrease of 1.59 cents per $100 valuation.

Whether an individual homeowner ultimately pays more or less to the school district will depend heavily on what happened to that property’s taxable value and which exemptions apply.

For residents comparing their 2026 property tax bills, looking only at the tax rate may therefore tell only part of the story. Reviewing the property’s taxable value from one year to the next can provide a clearer picture of why a bill changed.

What Happens Next

The adopted rate will support New Caney ISD’s 2026-27 operating and debt-service budgets as the district moves through a school year that has already brought new campuses and facilities, enrollment approaching 20,000 students and continued demands on transportation, staffing and instructional services.

For local families, homeowners and taxpayers, the district’s budget will continue to be worth watching — particularly as enrollment, development and taxable property values change throughout the New Caney and Porter area.

My Neighborhood News will continue following New Caney ISD decisions and local property tax issues that affect area families and homeowners.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 

Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.