Lone Star College System leaders presented a plan at a special called board meeting on September 16 to pay off the system’s $404 million in bond debt by 2030 or 2031. Community Impact reports the plan includes an additional $60 million payment toward the debt in the coming year, which would cut the balance to roughly $311 million and produce an estimated $32 million in long-term savings for taxpayers.
The proposed total tax rate for fiscal year 2026-27 is $0.1058 per $100 of valuation, two hundredths of a cent below the current rate, with an interest and sinking rate of $0.0219. Kristy Vienne, the system’s vice chancellor of administration and finance, presented the numbers. A public hearing is scheduled for October 1.
Because the rate is falling only slightly, what an individual owner pays still depends on appraised value. Community Impact reports that taxpayers in the Harris Central Appraisal District are expected to see the college district portion of their bill go down, while those in the Montgomery Central and San Jacinto County appraisal districts could see it rise on higher values.
Lone Star College operates campuses and centers serving Lake Houston area students, including Kingwood and Atascocita, so the system’s tax rate appears on local property tax bills.
