Plan Now for Comptroller’s 2024 PVS
January 15, 2025
By Jim Lambeth
With more than half of all Texas school districts currently operating in a deficit budget, all eyes will be on the Comptroller’s release of the 2024 School District Property Value Study (PVS) on January 31.
This PVS is estimated to impact at least half of all Texas counties and County Appraisal Districts in the state – and potentially many more.
The PVS serves as the basis for all public-school funding in the state and the findings from the Texas Comptroller could come as a surprise to taxing entities if their local County Appraisal District (CAD) is not in line with the property valuations from state auditors.
The Comptroller’s findings are critical to the school funding and if a district is found to be invalid, they can lose funding dollars for the current school year (2024-2025).
With just 40 days to file a PVS appeal, the clock is ticking for districts as soon as the preliminary findings are released. Here’s what to do next:
Check Your District’s PVS Status
On January 31, the Comptroller will publish the preliminary PVS Study results on their website. Select School District PVS Findings, then click on the 2024 Preliminary link from the chart. On the next page, select your county and then select your school district. Open the School District Summary Worksheet and under the chart Miscellaneous Loss Amounts, you will see the determination for your district. The example below shows a district that has an invalid local value.
Linebarger PVS Clients
If your district is one of the 200 current Linebarger PVS clients, we will monitor your district’s status and take immediate action if needed for an appeal. Our PVS team, led by Robby Harbuck, will be in touch with next steps.
Linebarger DTAX Clients
Current Linebarger clients have a short window to decide whether to retain our firm’s PVS team. Because the deadline to file an appeal is March 12, we ask that you reach out immediately to your local Linebarger office to discuss next steps. For districts who are not current clients, we are open to a conversation on how our firm can best meet your needs.
The proverb, “the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second-best time is now,” reflects where many districts find themselves. Even if the district values are valid, I recommend retaining a firm to manage PVS status and appeals, well before districts are deemed in grace or even labeled invalid.
The decision may help stabilize your projected budget not only this year, but in the years to come.
Jim Lambeth serves as Linebarger Management Committee member over the firm’s PVS division. He can be reached at our Tyler office.
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