In a move to continue its fiscal accountability, Harris County Department of Education’s Board of Trustees voted for a fourth consecutive year to adopt a tax rate below the effective tax rate.

HCDE trustees adopted the proposed rate of $.005190 in a vote of six to one. The rate is significantly lower than the 2018 effective tax rate of $0.005279 and lower than last year’s (2017) tax rate of $.005195.

“We continue to be below the effective tax rate,” said HCDE Board President Louis D. Evans III. “We are going to go back and take a look at everything to make sure there is no waste. We will make sure that we can still provide our current services, expand the number of students that need to be served, and still represent the taxpayers.”

With an average Harris County residence valued at $169,843 in August 2018, the adopted rate of $.005190 per $100 assessed property value will mean the average homeowner will pay $8.81, less than $9 a year for HCDE services.

Services from HCDE benefit school districts and the community at large and include adult education, special schools, school-based therapy services and afterschool programming.

About Harris County Department of Education: HCDE provides special education, therapy services, early education, adult education and after-school programming. Services are funded by government grants, fees and a local property tax of less than $9 per homeowner. For every dollar in local property tax collected, HCDE provides $4.70 in services to the 25 Harris County school districts. We operate four campuses for students with profound special education needs and adjudicated or recovering youth who require a low, student-teacher ratio and highly structured environment. One-hundred percent of students served on HCDE campuses are at-risk. We are governed by an elected board of seven trustees and have 1,076 employees and 33 facilities, including 15 Head Start centers. More info at www.hcde-texas.org  .