School districts can receive state facilities funding for eligible bonds, but must apply to the commissioner before issuing them and may use the funds only for the related bond principal and interest.
Sec. 46.003. SCHOOL FACILITIES ALLOTMENT. (a) For each year, except as provided by Sections 46.005 and 46.006, a school district is guaranteed a specified amount per student in state and local funds for each cent of tax effort, up to the maximum rate under Subsection (b), to pay the principal of and interest on eligible bonds issued to construct, acquire, renovate, or improve an instructional facility. The amount of state support is determined by the formula: FYA = (FYL X ADA X BTR X 100) - (BTR X (DPV/100)) where: "FYA" is the guaranteed facilities yield amount of state funds allocated to the district for the year; "FYL" is the dollar amount guaranteed level of state and local funds per student per cent of tax effort, which is $35 or a greater amount for any year provided by appropriation; "ADA" is the greater of the number of students in average daily attendance, as determined under Section 48.005, in the district or 400; "BTR" is the district's bond tax rate for the current year, which is determined by dividing the amount budgeted by the district for payment of eligible bonds by the quotient of the district's taxable value of property as determined under Subchapter M, Chapter 403, Government Code, or, if applicable, Section 48.258, divided by 100; and "DPV" is the district's taxable value of property as determined under Subchapter M, Chapter 403, Government Code, or, if applicable, Section 48.258. (b) The bond tax rate under Subsection (a) may not exceed the rate that would be necessary for the current year, using state funds under Subsection (a), to make payments of principal and interest on the bonds for which the tax is pledged. (c) To enable the district to collect local funds sufficient to pay the district's share of the debt service, a district may levy a bond tax at a rate higher than the maximum rate for which it may receive state assistance. (d) The amount budgeted by a district for payment of eligible bonds may include: (1) bond taxes collected in the current school year; (2) bond taxes collected in a preceding school year in excess of the amount necessary to pay the district's share of actual debt service on bonds in that year, provided that the taxes were not used to generate other state financial assistance for the district; or (3) maintenance and operations taxes collected in the current school year or a preceding school year in excess of the amount eligible to be used to generate other state financial assistance for the district. (e) Bonds are eligible to be paid with state and local funds under this section if: (1) taxes to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds were first levied in the 1997-1998 school year or a later school year; and (2) the bonds do not have a weighted average maturity of less than eight years. (f) A district may use state funds received under this section only to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds for which the district received the funds. (g) The board of trustees and voters of a school district shall determine district needs concerning construction, acquisition, renovation, or improvement of instructional facilities. (h) To receive state assistance under this subchapter, a school district must apply to the commissioner in accordance with rules adopted by the commissioner before issuing bonds that will be paid with state assistance. Until the bonds are fully paid or the instructional facility is sold: (1) a school district is entitled to continue receiving state assistance without reapplying to the commissioner; and (2) the guaranteed level of state and local funds per student per cent of tax effort applicable to the bonds may not be reduced below the level provided for the year in which the bonds were issued. Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 592, Sec. 1.04, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 396, Sec. 1.24, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1156, Sec. 6, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amended by: Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 465 (S.B. 1), Sec. 21, eff. November 3, 2015. Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 943 (H.B. 3), Sec. 3.059, eff. September 1, 2019.