Socorro ISD admits to overtaxing homeowners last year

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Socorro ISD says it charged taxpayers more than it should have last year. In a letter sent out to faculty, the district said that its state conservators found the Maintenance and Operations tax rate exceeded the maximum rate allowed by the Texas Education Agency.

"For a $246,000 home (with the homestead exemption) this equates to approximately $24 total for the year," the district went on to explain in its letter. " We are not alone in this situation; 10 districts in the state are in a similar scenario this year and last year 100 Texas school districts also faced this issue."

The conservators are now advising the district to reduce the tax rate for this upcoming school year to even out the imbalance. That means this next year, the average homeowner will pay $24 less.

Thanks to the overtaxing, the district says it is able to keep its aquatics center open and keep its Pre-K class at the historic Escontrias building. SISD officials had been discussing closing the pool and moving the Pre-K students due to a lack of funds.