Because of tax relief measures, Texas school districts have lost a little over $4 billion in tax revenues, or 23.4 percent of their tax revenue potential, the author says. Tax relief measures for agricultural property have the greatest impact on the poorest school districts, while residential...

In 1993, Texas established a maximum 1.5 percent property tax rate that school districts could impose for purposes of funding their maintenance and operations (M&O). Tax limits are intended to contain government growth and increase the efficiency of government services. Almost all states use...