Homeowners in Lake Travis ISD may see an increase in their tax bill this year, despite the district proposing a lower tax rate.

The LTISD board of trustees approved the fiscal year 2026-27 budget and discussed the proposed tax rate at a June 17 meeting.

The overview: The budget was approved at $152.7 million, $1.8 million higher than the FY 2025-26 budget.

“That's mainly attributed to the increase in state recapture to capture that property value growth while our enrollment is decreasing slightly,” Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Pam Sanchez said.

A closer look: The proposed tax rate for FY 2026-27 is $1.0329 per $100 valuation, a slight decrease from the previous rate of $1.0397. This includes a maintenance and operations rate of $0.7054 per $100 valuation and an interest and sinking rate of $0.3275.

While the proposed rate is lower than the previous fiscal year, homeowners may pay more in school district taxes due to increased property values. 

What's next: The board will approve the tax rate in August.

Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously June 16 to continue the local disaster declaration County Judge Andy Brown issued June 12 over the threat of New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that can affect livestock, wildlife, pets and, in rare cases, people, according to the county's continuing order. 

The first U.S. case in a decade surfaced June 3 on a calf in La Pryor, in Zavala County near the Texas-Mexico border.

What it means: Brown emphasized the action was not a response to a confirmed local case, while Austin Public Health authority Dr. Desmar Walkes said the risk to humans remains low, although open wounds remain vulnerable. 

Residents who suspect a screwworm case involving wildlife should contact the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; cases involving livestock and pets should go to the Texas Animal Health Commission, which is leading the state's response.

What to watch for: Residents concerned about a possible human infection should reach an on-call epidemiologist through Austin Public Health at 512-972-5555.

About two weeks shy of the anniversary of deadly flooding that devastated parts of Central Texas last summer, state lawmakers approved a 115-page report chronicling what they deemed “failures” at Camp Mystic, a Christian youth camp where 27 young girls died.

The details: The family running Camp Mystic was not prepared to respond to a disaster in flood-prone Kerr County and did not act quickly enough to save campers’ lives, investigators said during a June 18 hearing at the Capitol.

Investigators Casey Garrett and Michael Massengale told lawmakers about recent interviews with teenage counselors who witnessed the July 4 tragedy, reiterating a key point from hearings earlier this year: all deaths at Camp Mystic could have been prevented if camp leaders had planned ahead and acted more quickly.

"Nobody had any idea what they needed to be doing, and it crippled them," Garrett said.

Looking ahead: Lawmakers adopted the investigative team’s report, which will be shared with legislative leaders as they draft additional policy changes in response to the flood during the 2027 state legislative session.