Leander and Georgetown ISD tax rate elections on the Nov. 3 ballot

No bonds this fall in our Austin-area districts, but Leander and Georgetown ISDs ask voters to approve tax rate increases. Rates, costs and dates.

If you were expecting a big school bond on this November’s ballot in the Austin suburbs, there isn’t one in our core districts. What voters in two of them will see instead is a tax rate question.

Leander ISD and Georgetown ISD have each called a voter-approval tax rate election (VATRE) for Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Neither is a bond. Both would change the school district’s portion of the property tax rate for 2026-27, which matters to anyone buying, selling or budgeting for a home inside those boundaries.

Who has what on the ballot

According to a FOX 7 Austin roundup published Sept. 29, 11 Central Texas school districts called November elections. Only two are bonds, and both are outside the districts we cover most: Comal ISD ($567 million across two propositions) and Manor ISD ($400 million across two propositions).

Five districts called VATREs: Bastrop, Coupland, Del Valle, Georgetown and Leander ISDs. Round Rock ISD’s ballot has four board seats (Places 3, 4, 5 and 6), but no tax or bond question.

Austin, Eanes, Lake Travis, Dripping Springs and Liberty Hill ISDs do not appear in the roundup’s list of districts with November elections.

Leander ISD: a 3-cent operations increase

The Leander ISD board voted Aug. 17 to call what the district calls a School Funding Election. Per the district’s announcement, the proposition would add 3 cents to the maintenance and operations (M&O) portion of the tax rate, the part that pays for day-to-day costs such as staff pay, programs and student services.

The numbers, as stated by the district:

• Rate if approved: a total 2026-27 rate of $1.1169 per $100 of taxable value.
• Rate if not approved: $1.0869 per $100.
• Debt (I&S) rate: unchanged at $0.33.
• Revenue: about $6.7 million in added funding after state recapture.
• Average homeowner: on the district’s average 2026 taxable home value of $460,292, an estimated annual district tax bill of $5,141, which the district says is $27.56 more per year (about $2.30 a month) than 2025-26.

Community Impact adds two useful details. The gross amount the extra pennies would raise is about $12 million before recapture. And if the measure fails, the rate drops to $1.0869, which Community Impact reports would lower that average bill by $110.53 a year.

Why the district says it needs the money: Leander ISD reports $26 million in budget reductions over two years and continued deficits, with funding gaps it identifies in special education ($21.2 million) and safety and security ($2.8 million). FOX 7 reports the adopted 2026-27 budget carries a $9.9 million deficit that would shrink to $3.2 million if the VATRE passes. Community Impact reports the funds would also allow a one-time employee retention bonus in December.

The bond Leander did not call

This summer, a Leander ISD citizen committee proposed a 2026 bond in two versions: $591.23 million on a three-year cycle or $708.5 million on a four-year cycle. The package covered campus modernization, HVAC and fire alarm replacements, security cameras, technology, fine arts and turf projects, and 106 school bus replacements.

The board chose not to put a bond on the November ballot, according to Community Impact, and called the VATRE alone.

Georgetown ISD: Proposition A

Georgetown ISD’s board unanimously called its own VATRE, which will appear as “Georgetown Independent School District Proposition A.” FOX 7 reports the district would put the money toward teacher and staff pay, including a minimum teacher raise of $2,300 and a starting teacher salary of $59,000.

The rate detail, per Community Impact’s Sept. 8 report:

That is a 9-cent M&O increase partly offset by a 3-cent drop in the debt rate, for a net 6 cents per $100. The election would raise about $17.5 million, with Georgetown ISD keeping about $8.4 million and roughly $9.1 million going to the state through recapture.

For a median-valued homestead appraised at $444,465, the district estimates an annual increase of $7.97, for a school tax bill of about $3,381. Community Impact also reports an independent audit by MoakCasey LLC, released ahead of the vote.

FOX 7 reports that if Prop A fails, the district says it would make budget cuts.

Why the dollar figures look small

Both districts frame the cost against last year’s bill, not against the lower rate that would apply if the measure fails. In Leander’s case, Community Impact’s numbers show both views: about $28 more than last year if it passes, or about $110 less if it does not.

A few other points that apply to both elections:

• Homestead exemption: the district estimates assume a homestead exemption. A property without one (a rental or second home, for example) is taxed on more of its value, so its dollar change will be larger.
• Over-65 homesteads: both districts note that qualifying homeowners 65 or older with a homestead exemption would see no increase, because of the state school tax ceiling.
• Your value, not the average: the estimates use each district’s average or median home. A home appraised higher will see a proportionally larger dollar change.
• Not new debt: a VATRE adjusts the operations rate. Unlike a bond, it does not borrow money for buildings.

If you are comparing homes in Leander, Cedar Park or Georgetown neighborhoods such as Wolf Ranch, plug both possible rates into our property tax estimator to see the range for a specific price.

Key dates

Per Leander ISD, Georgetown ISD and FOX 7:

• Voter registration deadline: Monday, Oct. 5 (passed).
• Early voting: Monday, Oct. 19 through Friday, Oct. 30.
• Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.

Leander ISD says polling locations and voting details are posted on its election website.

What it means if you are buying or selling

Tax rates for 2026-27 are adopted in the fall, and these two elections are the last moving part for homes in Leander and Georgetown ISDs. Until Nov. 3, a buyer’s estimated escrow payment should account for either outcome. The difference on a typical homestead is modest, but it is larger on non-homestead property and on higher-value homes.

For broader context on the two cities, the Leander market report and Georgetown market report show current inventory and pricing trends.

A practical next step: run the address you are considering through the property tax estimator at both rates, then reach out to our team if you want help reading a specific tax bill or escrow estimate.

This article reports election facts and district-stated estimates only. It is not a recommendation on how to vote and is not tax advice.