The Western Texas College Board of Trustees approved the Fiscal Year 2027 budget following careful consideration of significant reductions in projected state and local revenue and the College’s responsibility to maintain affordable, high-quality educational and workforce opportunities for its service area.
The Fiscal Year 2027 (FY2027) budget reflects a changing financial environment for Western Texas College (WTC). The College projects local tax revenue will decline approximately 21 percent, or $1.27 million, compared with Fiscal Year 2026, primarily because of lower oil and natural gas production, lower commodity prices, and declining mineral valuations. WTC is also projected to receive approximately $565,170 less in state formula funding than in Fiscal Year 2026 due to statewide funding reductions and changes in how state funding is calculated and distributed to community colleges.
Together, these changes create significant financial pressure at a time when WTC remains committed to serving students, supporting regional employers, maintaining facilities and programs, and keeping higher education accessible and affordable.
Adopted Tax Rate
To help address these revenue pressures and support the College’s FY2027 budget, WTC set and adopted a tax rate of $0.3150 per $100 of taxable value, compared with $0.2650 in the prior year. The change represents an increase of 5 cents per $100 of taxable value.
WTC leaders recognize that any tax-rate increase matters to residents and believe taxpayers should have clear information about what the adopted rate means.
The 2026 Scurry County appraisal information provided to WTC reports an average homestead market value of $151,160, an average homestead exemption of $6,113, and an average taxable homestead value of $145,047.
Using that average taxable homestead value as an illustration, a WTC tax rate of $0.3150 would result in approximately $456.90 in annual WTC property taxes, compared with approximately $384.37 at a rate of $0.2650. The difference attributable to the two rates would be approximately $72.52 per year, or $6.04 per month, assuming the same taxable value.
The calculation is intended to illustrate the effect of the rate difference and should not be interpreted as the actual year-over-year tax change for every homeowner. Individual tax bills vary based on taxable value, exemptions, and other factors.
“We recognize that any increase in the tax rate matters to our taxpayers, and we did not approach this decision lightly,” said Dr. Laurie Sharp, President of WTC. “Western Texas College is facing significant revenue pressures resulting from changes in our local tax base and state funding. Our responsibility is to balance those financial realities with our commitment to students, taxpayers, employers, and the communities we serve.”
A Changing Local Tax Base
The financial challenge facing WTC is closely connected to the composition of the local property tax base and the regional economy.
The certified appraisal information reports WTC’s taxable value at approximately $2.66 billion. The appraisal information also demonstrates the importance of oil and gas property to the College’s tax base, reporting approximately $557 million in taxable oil and gas value.
As mineral values, production, and commodity prices change, the amount of taxable value available to support the College can change substantially. Those fluctuations can create significant challenges for long-term financial planning, even as the College’s responsibility to students and the community continues.
Responsible Stewardship
The adopted tax rate is one component of a broader strategy to maintain WTC’s financial stability. The College has also taken concrete steps to reduce operating costs and lower costs for students. For example, WTC partnered with Cogdell Memorial Hospital and Clinics to provide student health and behavioral health support locally, allowing the College to cancel its TimelyCare contract and save $32,937 annually. Separately, WTC eliminated the student Health Service Fee, providing an additional direct savings to students. Together, these actions reflect the College’s effort to identify efficiencies that reduce institutional expenses while also keeping the cost of attendance as affordable as possible. College leaders will continue evaluating programs, operations, facilities, enrollment strategies, vendor contracts, partnerships, and opportunities for grants and other external funding.
WTC’s focus is not simply on balancing a single year’s budget, but on ensuring that the College remains financially sustainable and positioned to meet the region’s educational and workforce needs in the years ahead. That work includes pursuing partnerships and service-delivery models that preserve student access while lowering institutional costs.
“Our goal is not simply to ask the community for additional support,” said Sharp. “It is to demonstrate that we are managing the resources entrusted to us responsibly, making thoughtful decisions about our operations, and protecting the educational and workforce opportunities that are important to this region.”
Western Texas College plays an important role in providing affordable access to higher education, career and technical education, workforce preparation, and opportunities for students to remain in or return to the region with skills needed by local employers. Maintaining that mission requires balancing affordability for students and taxpayers with the resources necessary to deliver quality instruction and services.
Looking Ahead
College leaders remain committed to identifying additional efficiencies and cost savings, strengthening enrollment, pursuing external resources, and aligning institutional investments with the areas that provide the greatest benefit to students and the region.
“Western Texas College belongs to this community,” said Sharp. “We understand the responsibility that comes with asking taxpayers to invest in the College. We are committed to being transparent about the challenges we face, accountable for how resources are used, and focused on ensuring WTC continues to create opportunities for students and contribute to the economic strength of our region.”