The Princeton ISD board of trustees adopted the new budget and tax rate for the 2026-2027 budget year at Monday's meeting. This action lowered the tax rate from $1.2072 to $1.2011.

The breakdown of the proposed tax rate is .7011 cents for maintenance and operations and .50 cents for debt service.

"We are glad we are able to lower the overall tax rate again," Superintendent Donald McIntyre said. "This marks the 8th year in a row PISD has decreased the tax rate despite our growth and the need to expand campuses and personnel."

The budget includes revenue in the amount of $156,473,116 with expenditures of $157,242,032.

Significant expenditures include:

• Additional teachers
• Salary increases for all employees
• Costs associated with two new campuses
• Start-up costs for district's 10th and 11th elementary schools

"Most of our increase in spending is personnel-related and comes from the new positions added for this year, as well as the pay increases for every employee," Mr. McIntyre said.

The budget reflects an average spending of $9.64 per student per hour, compared to $8.84 per student per hour with last year's budget.

Princeton ISD Board of Trustees heard an update on state accountability ratings released last week.

Casey Gunnels, assistant superintendent for education, reported that nine of the district's 15 campuses maintained or increased their ratings from the previous year, with Clark Middle School receiving an A-designation for the second consecutive year.

Overall, the district was given a B rating by TEA, with seven campuses earning B ratings.

"Princeton ISD continues to maintain a strong academic rating," Mr. Gunnels said. "A majority of campuses showed great growth or maintained high academic performance, while some showed declines. Our secondary campuses demonstrated strong gains, as all five schools either maintained or grew."

According to Mr. Gunnels, district administrators will continue to support all campuses with instructional efforts and focus additional efforts on lower-performing schools as they work to improve these areas this school year.

The following campuses earned one or more distinctions based on state academic results:

Clark (earned all seven distinctions available): Academic excellence in reading/language arts, math, science and social studies; academic growth; postsecondary readiness and closing the gaps.

PSHS: Academic growth

Lovelady: Academic excellence in reading/language arts

Mattei: Postsecondary readiness

Southard: Academic excellence in social studies; academic growth; postsecondary readiness and closing the gaps

Harper: Academic excellence in reading/language arts and math; academic growth and closing the gaps

Lacy: Academic growth and closing the gaps

Smith: Academic excellence in reading/language arts, math and science; academic growth; postsecondary readiness and closing the gaps