FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 18, 2025


Palestine, Texas — The Palestine Independent School District Board of Trustees approved calling a School Bond Election for November 4, 2025.

The vote follows the recommendation from district administrators who have studied and reviewed assessments of the district’s campuses and facilities.

Because construction costs increase by as much as 10 percent each year, the cost of these projects increases each year they are delayed, which costs Palestine ISD taxpayers even more money to fund the projects.

“It has been 16 years since the last bond election in Palestine ISD. The 2025 Bond helps address our buildings and spaces that are on average 45 years old,” Superintendent Jason Marshall said.

Texas school districts do not receive state funding for renovating or building new schools. Instead, they must receive funds through school bond elections. The 2025 November Bond will ask voters to consider a $60 million package in one proposition.

Proposition A addresses the construction of a new career and technology education center, renovations to aging facilities, parking and traffic flow in and around campuses, and safety and security upgrades.

If paid for by bond funds, district-wide repairs would help make school buildings more energy efficient and lower operating costs – allowing the district to allocate its annual maintenance and operations funds back into the classroom for other items like teacher salaries and student programs.

If passed, the estimated financial impact of the bond would be $5 a month on a home valued at $200,000 in Palestine ISD with a homestead exemption.

Since 2019, state law requires all bond propositions for any school district to have the phrase “THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE” on all ballot language for bond propositions. If the bond is passed, homeowners 65 years of age and older who have filed for and received the Over 65 exemption will not see an increase over their frozen dollar amount as long as they make no major improvements. Check your most recent Notice of Assessed Value Change to see if your school district taxes will be impacted.

In 2025, the Texas Legislature passed significant property tax relief measures aimed at homeowners aged 65 and older. This means eligible individuals can now receive a total school tax exemption of up to $200,000, combining the $140,000 general exemption and the $60,000 over-65/disabled exemption, if it is approved by voters in November. The existing school district tax freeze for seniors remains, ensuring that school district taxes on your home won't increase after you qualify, unless you make major home improvements.

Because property taxes for seniors are already capped, this combined exemption could result in the elimination of school district property taxes for some senior homeowners. Even in school elections, senior property owners may experience no increase—or zero payment—in school district taxes, depending on district tax rates, structure, and property value changes.

The district will begin providing the community with voter education information about all areas surrounding the 2025 bond package.

“We are obligated as good stewards to keep our voters informed about only the facts surrounding this bond,” Marshall said. “These bond funds will only be used on the projects identified in this bond package and on the ballot. We will be reaching out by phone, mail, digital, and social media to inform all our voters about the facts before they go to the polls in October and November."

More information about the bond projects and voting locations will be available on the district website at https://www.palestineschools.org/bond.

To register to vote or to find out your registration status, call the Anderson County Elections Department at 903-723-7438 or visit the county website at https://www.co.anderson.tx.us/page/anderson.Elections.

Early voting begins October 20 and ends October 31, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 4.