Royal ISD is committed to responsible management of public funds and to aggressively paying off existing debt. In doing so, Royal has saved 15 years of debt repayments and saved $2,651,131. The district was able to secure an interest rate of 1.82% (down from 4% in the 2013-series bonds and 3.5-4% in the 2014-series bonds). School districts utilize refundings when bonds outstanding are eligible to be replaced with lower interest rate bonds, saving local taxpayers future interest on the bonds.

2013 series previously went through 2035 and now goes through 2028 (savings of 7 years)
2014 series previously went through 2037 and now goes through 2030 (savings of 7 years)
2015 series previously went through 2039 and now goes through 2038 (savings of 1 year)

Please CLICK HERE to view an updated overview of the district’s current debt as well as the debt per capita. Royal ISD’s actual debt per capita is $5,222. The source of this information is the Texas Comptroller’s guidance from House Bill 1378. Based on the Comptroller’s “Debt at a Glance” information for all Texas Independent School Districts, Royal ISD has one of the lowest per capita thresholds in the state. Royal ISD also has a Financial Transparency page for your reference.

RISD Financial Advisor Lucas Janda said, “The Royal ISD Board of Trustees is committed to implementing strong financial practices. It is their diligence in careful financial planning that has allowed the district to take advantage of this opportunity to save taxpayer dollars. The 2021 refunding resulted in a significant decrease in the future debt service amounts.”

In a fast-growth community like Royal ISD, the balance between retiring debt early and ensuring their capacity to fund student needs while staying mindful of the tax impact on taxpayers can be quite difficult when coupled with future unknowns such as property values and interest rates. However, conservative debt strategies over the years has well positioned RISD to embrace their vision of “investing in our tomorrow”.

Royal Bond 2023 is not projected to result in a tax rate increase. Over 65 homeowners with paperwork on file with the county remain frozen and are not impacted by the bond. Most importantly, Royal ISD has lowered the tax tate from $1.5288 in 2018/19 to the current rate of $1.3017.

Royal ISD Administration

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do portable classroom buildings cost and how many is Royal ISD projected to need if Royal Bond 2023 does not pass?

Does the Sunterra development have homes in Royal ISD?

How does Royal ISD manage existing debt from the 2006 bond?

What has the tax rate been over the last seven years?

How will this impact my tax bill?

What happens if the Bond doesn't pass?

What about owners of ag-exempt property?

I pay more and more in school taxes every year, so why do you need more?

How will this bond election affect homeowners who are over 65?

What is the difference between the M&O and the Debt Service tax rates?

How do taxes pay for school?

Will my district be able to sell its bonds at a favorable rate?

If the bonds are approved, is the district obligated to spend the money?

If the bond election is successful, does the school district immediately incur the debt?

What is the difference between a bond authorization and bond sales?

What is a bond election?

How can bond money be used?

What are bonds?

How long does it take to pay them off?

Who will be coordinating new construction? What are their qualifications to handle a bond of this amount? Where will we be able to find updates on the expenditure of the bond/ construction updates/ local subcontractor participation?

What will I see on the ballot?

How does Royal ISD determine the annual tax rate?