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Know how our schools are funded. Then speak up.
Plain-language facts on Coppell ISD’s money, the 2027 bond planning, and how to talk with the school board and your state lawmakers. Every number links to its source.
On this page
How Coppell ISD is funded
Two tax rates, two separate pots of money
Your Coppell ISD tax bill has two parts, and the law keeps them apart.
- M&O (maintenance and operations) pays for running schools: teacher and staff pay, utilities, buses, supplies. Recapture is taken from this part.
- I&S (interest and sinking) pays back bonds that voters approved, which fund buildings, major repairs and technology. I&S money cannot pay salaries or other day-to-day costs, and bond money cannot fix an operating deficit.
School tax rates per $100 of value, 2015‑16 to 2026‑27
The M&O rate fell from $1.17 to $0.7478, while the I&S (debt) rate has stayed between about $0.23 and $0.32.
Show the data as a table
| School year | M&O | I&S | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | $1.1700 | $0.2690 | $1.4390 |
| 2016-17 | $1.1700 | $0.3227 | $1.4927 |
| 2017-18 | $1.1700 | $0.3078 | $1.4778 |
| 2018-19 | $1.1700 | $0.2905 | $1.4605 |
| 2019-20 | $1.0683 | $0.2626 | $1.3309 |
| 2020-21 | $1.0514 | $0.2586 | $1.3100 |
| 2021-22 | $1.0472 | $0.2448 | $1.2920 |
| 2022-23 | $0.9867 | $0.2306 | $1.2173 |
| 2023-24 | $0.8022 | $0.2513 | $1.0535 |
| 2024-25 | $0.7552 | $0.2474 | $1.0026 |
| 2025-26 | $0.7552 | $0.2267 | $0.9819 |
| 2026-27 | $0.7478 | $0.2379 | $0.9857 |
Recapture: local taxes sent to the state
Texas law says a district whose property wealth per student is above a set level must send part of its M&O tax collections to the state. The law calls this “excess local revenue” (Chapter 49 of the Education Code). Most people call it recapture, or “Robin Hood.” Coppell ISD has paid it every year since 1994-95. The money leaves the district; it is not spent on Coppell ISD students.
Recapture paid to the state each school year, 2010‑11 to 2024‑25
Recapture peaked at $49.1M in 2022-23, fell to $22.1M in 2023-24, and was $25.7M in 2024-25.
Show the data as a table
| School year | Recapture paid |
|---|---|
| 2010-11 | $23,425,003 |
| 2011-12 | $22,706,350 |
| 2012-13 | $18,500,714 |
| 2013-14 | $17,367,106 |
| 2014-15 | $20,778,622 |
| 2015-16 | $22,904,921 |
| 2016-17 | $29,662,356 |
| 2017-18 | $38,290,413 |
| 2018-19 | $44,608,366 |
| 2019-20 | $33,248,153 |
| 2020-21 | $39,997,598 |
| 2021-22 | $45,304,112 |
| 2022-23 | $49,099,150 |
| 2023-24 | $22,056,087 |
| 2024-25 | $25,689,026 |
Why the budgets show deficits
Each summer the board adopts a general-fund budget: the plan for M&O money. Every adopted budget since 2018-19 has planned to spend more than it takes in. Through 2022-23 the actual results still ended in surplus. In 2023-24 and 2024-25 they ended in real deficits of about $6.5M and $6.6M: smaller than planned, but real. The district covers a deficit from its fund balance, which works like a savings account.
A deficit in the operating budget is an M&O problem. A bond cannot pay for it.
General fund: the adopted budget vs. the actual result, 2018‑19 to 2026‑27
Every adopted budget planned a deficit; actual results were surpluses until 2023-24, when they turned to deficits too.
Show the data as a table
| School year | Adopted budget | Actual result (TEA) |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | −$49,606 | $9,210,386 |
| 2019-20 | −$2,465,049 | $3,936,509 |
| 2020-21 | −$7,239,447 | $4,528,709 |
| 2021-22 | −$1,782,584 | $420,950 |
| 2022-23 | −$9,677,852 | $84,162 |
| 2023-24 | −$13,583,007 | −$6,537,688 |
| 2024-25 | −$7,547,079 | −$6,621,669 |
| 2025-26 | −$8,499,132 | Not yet reported |
| 2026-27 | −$3,500,622 | Not yet reported |
Fewer students ahead
Much of a district’s funding follows its students. The district’s demographer projects enrollment will keep falling, in part because the classes leaving each year are larger than the kindergarten classes coming in. This is a projection, not a count.
Coppell ISD enrollment, 2015‑16 to 2025‑26, and the demographer’s projection to 2035‑36
Enrollment peaked at 13,414 in 2023-24 and was 13,056 in 2025-26. The district’s demographer projects 11,730 students in 2030-31 and 10,814 in 2035-36, about 17% fewer than in 2025-26.
Show the data as a table
| School year | Students | Count or projection |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 11,851 | Actual: TEA enrolled membership |
| 2016-17 | 12,349 | Actual: TEA enrolled membership |
| 2017-18 | 12,577 | Actual: TEA enrolled membership |
| 2018-19 | 12,857 | Actual: TEA enrolled membership |
| 2019-20 | 13,181 | Actual: TEA enrolled membership |
| 2020-21 | 13,029 | Actual: TEA enrolled membership |
| 2021-22 | 13,107 | Actual: TEA enrolled membership |
| 2022-23 | 13,343 | Actual: TEA enrolled membership |
| 2023-24 | 13,414 | Actual: TEA October snapshot |
| 2024-25 | 13,233 | Actual: TEA October snapshot |
| 2025-26 | 13,056 | Actual: TEA October snapshot |
| 2026-27 | 12,812 | Projection (Zonda, May 2026) |
| 2027-28 | 12,519 | Projection (Zonda, May 2026) |
| 2028-29 | 12,340 | Projection (Zonda, May 2026) |
| 2029-30 | 12,020 | Projection (Zonda, May 2026) |
| 2030-31 | 11,730 | Projection (Zonda, May 2026) |
| 2031-32 | 11,483 | Projection (Zonda, May 2026) |
| 2032-33 | 11,238 | Projection (Zonda, May 2026) |
| 2033-34 | 11,046 | Projection (Zonda, May 2026) |
| 2034-35 | 10,883 | Projection (Zonda, May 2026) |
| 2035-36 | 10,814 | Projection (Zonda, May 2026) |
The 2027 bond
CAN’s position: CAN is following the 2027 bond planning closely and will share its position once the board sets the final package.
What is confirmed
- On Jul 27, 2026 the board approved, 7-0, a charge to a 2027 Bond Steering Committee of parents, students, staff and community members (board charge).
- The committee’s focus is life-cycle repair and replacement of district facilities and technology (board memo, Jul 8, 2026).
- The charge requires the committee to take public input on facilities needs and to give the board its final report no later than Feb 1, 2027 (board charge).
- The district’s timeline targets a May 1, 2027 election, with a Feb 12, 2027 deadline to call it. The committee’s co-chairs present its recommendation to the board on Jan 11, 2027, after a board workshop on Nov 30, 2026 (committee Meeting #2 presentation).
- On Oct 21, 2026, staff and consultants showed the committee a draft of four propositions totaling $274.2 million, for the committee to change. It is not a recommendation (same presentation).
What is not decided
As of , the board has not called a bond election. The final amount, propositions and project list are not decided, and the district has not published a tax impact. We won’t present our own arithmetic as a district figure. Coming soon CAN’s bond explainer will cover what the published numbers do and don’t tell us.
How to give input
- Attend the board’s bond workshop on Monday, Nov 30, 2026 at 5:30 pmWatch the committee’s recommendation to the board on Monday, Jan 11, 2027Watch for the board’s decision, due by Feb 12, 2027, on whether to call a May 1 electionCheck Key Dates for the latest bond milestones (agendas on BoardBook).
- Watch the district’s 2027 bond page for committee presentations and community feedback sessions. A community survey is planned, but its participants are chosen at random.
- Speak during Open Forum at a board meeting. How board meetings work.
- Join CAN to hear about new dates as they are announced.
Coming soon
Read CAN’s 2027 bond explainerWhat CAN asks for
CAN speaks to trustees, district leaders and state lawmakers. These are the positions our members will carry.
Coming soon
CAN’s leaders are finalizing the priorities we will carry to the board and to Austin. They will be posted here.
Engage the Board of Trustees
Seven elected trustees set Coppell ISD’s budget, tax rate and any bond election. Their meetings are open to the public.
When and where
Regular board meetings are held monthly, on Mondays at 6:00 pm, at the Vonita White Administration Building, 200 S. Denton Tap Rd., Coppell. Recent meetings were on and . Agendas and packets are posted on BoardBook, the district’s meeting site.
Check BoardBook for each meeting’s exact date and time; workshops and special meetings are posted there too.
How public comment works
Texas law (Government Code §551.007) lets members of the public speak to the board about items on a meeting’s agenda. Coppell ISD calls this part of the meeting Open Forum.
- Expect a time limit. Say your name and your connection to Coppell ISD.
- Make one clear point and one ask, and bring a source for any number you use.
What to say: a 60-second Open Forum script
“Good evening. My name is [your name], and I’m a [parent / grandparent / neighbor] with [children at / ties to] [campus]. I’m here about [agenda item]. [One fact, with its source.] I’m asking the board to [your one ask]. Thank you for your service.”
What to write: a short email to a trustee
Subject: [Agenda item or topic] — a Coppell ISD parent
Dear Trustee [last name],
I’m [your name], a [parent / neighbor] connected to [campus]. Before the board’s [date] meeting, I want to share one point about [topic]: [one fact, with its source]. I’m asking you to [your one ask].
Thank you for serving our schools.
[Your name], [your neighborhood or ZIP code]
Keep it to one point and one ask; a short, polite, personal note counts more than a long one. Put it in your own words if you can.
Done? Tell CAN you spoke or wrote, so we can count our voices and follow up together.
How to reach trustees
Use the contact information on the district’s Board of Trustees page. CAN does not post trustees’ personal phone numbers or email addresses.
Talk to your state lawmakers
The Texas Legislature sets the school-funding formulas and the recapture rules. Lawmakers listen to the voters in their own districts.
Find who represents you
Enter your home address in the Legislature’s Who Represents Me tool. It shows your Texas House member, Texas Senator and member of Congress. Coppell ISD spans more than one legislative district, so look up your own address.
Who represents Coppell ISD
Coppell ISD sits in two Texas House districts, two Texas Senate districts and two State Board of Education (SBOE) districts. Most of the district is in House District 115, Senate District 12 and SBOE District 14. Use Who Represents Me to confirm yours; your voter registration certificate from the Dallas County Elections Department also lists your districts.
| Office | District | Serving now | Share of CISD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas House | 115 | Cassandra Garcia Hernandez | 95% |
| Texas House | 105 | Terry Meza | 5% |
| Texas Senate | 12 | Tan Parker | 95% |
| Texas Senate | 16 | Nathan Johnson | 5% |
| State Board of Education | 14 | Evelyn Brooks (term ends Jan 1, 2027) | 89% |
| State Board of Education | 11 | Brandon Hall | 11% |
What to write: a short email to your state lawmaker
Subject: School funding — a constituent in [your city] (Coppell ISD)
Dear [Representative / Senator] [last name],
I live in [your city, ZIP code], in your district, and my family is part of Coppell ISD. [One fact, with its source; for example, what Coppell ISD sent the state in recapture last year.] I’m asking you to [your one ask] this session.
Thank you,
[Your name], [street address or ZIP code, so the office knows you’re a constituent]
Lawmakers’ offices tally constituent contacts, so include your address or ZIP code. Write before the vote, keep it courteous, and stick to one ask. Tell CAN you wrote.
What to say: a 20-second phone call
“Hi, my name is [your name]. I live in [your city, ZIP code], in [the Representative’s / the Senator’s] district, and my family is part of Coppell ISD. I’m calling to ask [them] to [your one ask]. Could you please pass that along? Thank you.”
Staff answer the phone and tally calls by topic, so a short, polite call counts. Find the office number on the member’s official page in the table above.
How CAN works with lawmakers
- Annual Austin visit. CAN organizes a yearly trip to the Capitol to meet with key state legislators. Date: Coming soon
- Unified representation. We meet with Texas state lawmakers on a recurring basis so they hear one consistent message from Coppell ISD families.
- Partnering for change. CAN partners with Communities United for Public Education, a group of parents, educators, students and community members working to fully fund Texas public schools, to support state legislation that strengthens public schools. Partner resource: watch “Funding the Future,” an introduction to Texas school funding from Communities United for Public Education.
For context, the Coppell ISD board’s proposed 2027 legislative priorities focus on school funding, including the basic allotment, special education, school safety and teacher pay, plus the state accountability system (board memo, Sep 28, 2026). CAN speaks for its members, not for the district.
Sources and how we check facts
Every number on this page links to where it came from and says how current it is. When we do our own arithmetic, we say so. Estimates and projections are labeled.
About CISD-Analytics: many of our figures and all four charts come from CISD-Analytics, an independent dashboard built from public TEA and district records. It is maintained by a CAN leader, Brent Billington. It is not an official Coppell ISD publication. Its Sources tab lists the original documents. The charts here use its data as built on .
Sources used on this page
- CISD-Analytics, Budget tab: recapture, general fund, tax rates (data built Oct 22, 2026).
- Texas Education Agency, Excess Local Revenue (recapture): recapture paid by district, as of Nov 2025.
- CISD 2026-27 tax rate adoption memo, Aug 24, 2026.
- Zonda, Coppell ISD Spring 2026 Mobility and Housing Report board brief, May 18, 2026.
- Board memo on the 2027 Bond Steering Committee charge, Jul 8, 2026, and the charge, approved Jul 27, 2026 (draft minutes).
- Hilltop Securities, Series 2026 bond issuance deck, Apr 27, 2026.
- Board memo, proposed 2027 legislative priorities, Sep 28, 2026.
- CISD-Analytics, Forecasts tab: enrollment history and the Zonda projection (data built Oct 22, 2026).
- 2027 Bond Steering Committee Meeting #2 presentation, Oct 21, 2026, and the Apr 27, 2026 board presentation: bond timeline and draft scope.
- BoardBook, Coppell ISD Board of Trustees meetings, checked Nov 10, 2026.
- Texas Government Code §551.007 (public comment).
- Who Represents Me and Texas Legislature Online.
Found a mistake? Tell us and we will correct it and note the change.