Spring homeowners saved an average of $140 on their school-district property tax bills in 2025, according to new state data. A pending Harris County rate increase could wipe out those savings and then some.

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, told the Senate Local Government Committee on Sept. 1 that the average Texas homeowner's school-district bill fell from $1,037 in 2024 to $896 in 2025. Seniors and homeowners with disabilities saw a larger drop, from $565 to $380, a $185 decrease. About 39% of the state's 6.1 million homeowners paid nothing in school property taxes in 2025, Community Impact reported.

Statewide, school-district taxes fell about 13.6% in 2025, based on data Bettencourt's office compiled from all 254 Texas counties. Most homeowners now receive a $140,000 homestead exemption from school-district taxes. Seniors and people with disabilities receive $200,000.

Texas's current two-year budget commits $51 billion to property tax relief. Unless the Legislature rolls back existing exemptions, the state must spend at least that amount every biennium going forward.

"There's more work to do, but I hope everybody can see that we are on the path to getting homeowners out of school property taxes," said Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, at the Sept. 1 hearing.

But for Spring-area residents, the county side of the tax bill is heading the other direction.

Harris County Commissioners Court voted 3-2 on Tuesday, Sept. 8, to advance a proposed combined tax rate of about $0.67 per $100 of taxable value. That is a 7.6% increase over the prior year's adopted combined rate. The county's Office of Management and Budget estimates the higher rate would add roughly $193 to the average homeowner's annual bill, according to Community Impact's Spring-Klein coverage.

The proposed county-only rate is $0.41750 per $100, up from $0.38096 in 2025, a 9.6% jump. The combined figure also includes rates for the Flood Control District, Harris Health and the Port of Houston Authority, My Neighborhood News reported. That combined rate would be the highest since at least 2017, according to the county's own budget comparison.

County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey voted against the rate. Commissioners Rodney Ellis, Lesley Briones and Adrian Garcia voted in favor. Hidalgo said the county has "been irresponsible with our spending" and should not ask taxpayers for a rate increase. Ramsey argued the court should review which services are legally required before asking taxpayers for more.

The county faces an estimated $180 million budget shortfall for fiscal year 2027, driven by rising employee healthcare costs, law enforcement pay and declining federal support. Certified taxable value in Harris County grew only about 0.8% for tax year 2026, after double-digit increases in 2022 and 2023.

Side by side, the numbers tell a split story. The state's school-district relief saved the average homeowner $140. If the county adopts the proposed rate, it would add about $193. Actual impact varies by a homeowner's taxable value and exemptions, and the two figures apply to different taxing entities.

Sen. Molly Cook, D-Houston, raised sustainability concerns at the Sept. 1 hearing. She said the budget surplus that funded homestead exemptions "is gone" and that state leaders are calling for cuts to health and safety services.

Gov. Greg Abbott has pledged to eliminate school-district property taxes entirely during the 2027 legislative session. The House Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to consider additional relief measures on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

The final vote on Harris County's fiscal year 2027 budget and tax rates is set for Thursday, Sept. 17, at 9 a.m. at 1001 Preston Street in downtown Houston. Residents can attend the public hearing to comment before commissioners vote.