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Bastiat & Liberty Watchdog Index
Texas Local Government Freedom Index
Objective, empirical rankings grading 6,167 Texas local governments and 31,351 elected officials on fiscal restraint, tax burden, private property rights, and regulatory overreach. Zero peer normalization.
Top Ranked Governments (Highest Liberty)
Showing 1–25 of 74 matching jurisdictions
28-Year Freedom & Budget Trend Benchmark (FY 2000 – FY 2027)
Cohort Average Across Visible Page (25 Ranked Entities)5-Yr Freedom Trend (FY 22→27)
▲ +0.7 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▼ -3.4 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+4.0% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+23.1% (CAGR +4.5%/yr)
#165
State Rank
MAGNOLIA ISD
ISD • Montgomery County • Pop: 15,405
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.96213Fiscal: 42.3Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +3.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+22.2% 5Y)
Grade B(76.9/100)
#215
State Rank
UPLIFT EDUCATION
ISD • Dallas County • Pop: 23,540
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.01352Fiscal: 39.2Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +3.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+22.1% 5Y)
Grade B(75.7/100)
#219
State Rank
BROWNSVILLE ISD
ISD • Cameron County • Pop: 34,337
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7716Fiscal: 53.7Regulatory: 100Debt: 76.6▲ +1.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+23.0% 5Y)
Grade B(75.6/100)
#250
State Rank
YES PREP PUBLIC SCHOOLS INC
ISD • Harris County • Pop: 20,811
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.01764Fiscal: 38.9Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +3.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+25.3% 5Y)
Grade B(75.6/100)
#262
State Rank
KIPP TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
ISD • Travis County • Pop: 31,611
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.0197Fiscal: 38.8Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +2.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+24.1% 5Y)
Grade B(75.5/100)
#306
State Rank
INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP OF TEXAS (ILTEXAS)
ISD • Dallas County • Pop: 26,257
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.02279Fiscal: 38.6Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +3.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.2% YoY (+19.7% 5Y)
Grade B(75.4/100)
#313
State Rank
TEXAS COLLEGE PREPARATORY ACADEMIES
ISD • Taylor County • Pop: 17,201
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.02279Fiscal: 38.6Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +3.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.2% YoY (+20.4% 5Y)
Grade B(75.4/100)
#400
State Rank
HALLSVILLE ISD
ISD • Harrison County • Pop: 26,890
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.77098Fiscal: 53.7Regulatory: 100Debt: 67.9▲ +0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+21.6% 5Y)
Grade B(73.5/100)
#428
State Rank
WYLIE ISD
ISD • Collin County • Pop: 19,451
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.1752Fiscal: 29.5Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +4.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.6% YoY (+20.1% 5Y)
Grade B(71.8/100)
#437
State Rank
Aransas County ISD
ISD • Aransas County • Pop: 18,885
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7600Fiscal: 54.4Regulatory: 100Debt: 57.2▲ 0.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.0% YoY (+19.0% 5Y)
Grade B(71.1/100)
#448
State Rank
EDINBURG CISD
ISD • Hidalgo County • Pop: 32,502
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.85481Fiscal: 48.7Regulatory: 100Debt: 63.5▲ +0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+21.1% 5Y)
Grade B(70.4/100)
#478
State Rank
MCALLEN ISD
ISD • Hidalgo County • Pop: 19,435
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.92381Fiscal: 44.6Regulatory: 100Debt: 62.2▲ +0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+22.8% 5Y)
Grade C(68.4/100)
#512
State Rank
Chapel Hill ISDa
ISD • Smith County • Pop: 23,959
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.95906Fiscal: 42.5Regulatory: 100Debt: 58.1▲ +0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.9% YoY (+20.3% 5Y)
Grade C(66.5/100)
#530
State Rank
Wylie ISDb
ISD • Taylor County • Pop: 25,359
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.13955Fiscal: 31.6Regulatory: 100Debt: 71.9▲ +2.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.1% YoY (+18.2% 5Y)
Grade C(65.6/100)
#532
State Rank
HARLINGEN CISD
ISD • Cameron County • Pop: 16,193
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.90351Fiscal: 45.8Regulatory: 100Debt: 48.2▼ -0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+24.3% 5Y)
Grade C(65.4/100)
#537
State Rank
AMARILLO ISD
ISD • Potter County • Pop: 28,276
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.86336Fiscal: 48.2Regulatory: 100Debt: 43.9▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+20.0% 5Y)
Grade C(65.3/100)
#534
State Rank
UNITED ISD
ISD • Webb County • Pop: 39,832
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.72022Fiscal: 56.8Regulatory: 100Debt: 30.2▼ -1.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+22.7% 5Y)
Grade C(65.3/100)
#556
State Rank
KILLEEN ISD
ISD • Bell County • Pop: 41,391
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.8622Fiscal: 48.3Regulatory: 100Debt: 39.2▼ -0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+22.2% 5Y)
Grade C(64.1/100)
#585
State Rank
LA JOYA ISD
ISD • Hidalgo County • Pop: 21,613
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.98746Fiscal: 40.8Regulatory: 100Debt: 45.3▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+22.0% 5Y)
Grade C(62.6/100)
#595
State Rank
PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO ISD
ISD • Hidalgo County • Pop: 29,053
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.99583Fiscal: 40.3Regulatory: 100Debt: 44.7▲ 0.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+21.3% 5Y)
Grade C(62.3/100)
#626
State Rank
LUBBOCK ISD
ISD • Lubbock County • Pop: 23,119
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.8604Fiscal: 48.4Regulatory: 100Debt: 26.4▼ -1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+21.2% 5Y)
Grade C(61/100)
#637
State Rank
CARROLLTON-FARMERS BRANCH ISD
ISD • Dallas County • Pop: 22,899
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7481Fiscal: 55.1Regulatory: 100Debt: 15▼ -1.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.2% YoY (+19.2% 5Y)
Grade C(60.8/100)
#677
State Rank
WESLACO ISD
ISD • Hidalgo County • Pop: 16,044
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.93292Fiscal: 44Regulatory: 100Debt: 27.6▼ -1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+21.7% 5Y)
Grade D(59.5/100)
#688
State Rank
Highland Park ISDa
ISD • Dallas County • Pop: 34,322
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.96773Fiscal: 41.9Regulatory: 100Debt: 29.3▼ -1.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.9% YoY (+58.2% 5Y)
Grade D(59.1/100)
#697
State Rank
BEAUMONT ISD
ISD • Jefferson County • Pop: 15,862
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.92801Fiscal: 44.3Regulatory: 100Debt: 24.8▼ -1.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+23.6% 5Y)
Grade D(58.9/100)