Abolishing the “Robin Hood” School Property Tax

​By reducing state and local government spending growth, Texans can eliminate the Robin Hood school property tax and cut overall property taxes almost in half.
​
Key Points:

• School district maintenance and operations (M&O) property taxes, estimated to be $24.77 billion in 2018, make up about one-half of the total tax levy.
• Previous efforts by the Texas Legislature to reduce the property tax burden through increasing state spending on public education or increasing the homestead exemption have not provided significant, long-term relief for Texas taxpayers
• If the Texas Legislature sticks with this plan to reduce our property tax burden, within the foreseeable future Texans will no longer be paying the Robin Hood property tax

Originally published by Texas Public Policy Foundation with co-authors Kara Belew, Bill Peacock, and Emily Sass.