Austin Community College is one big step closer to pulling Pflugerville into its taxing district, a move that could slash tuition for local students and nudge up property tax bills for homeowners.
On June 15, the ACC Board of Trustees accepted a citizen petition that could put annexation of the Pflugerville Independent School District on the November ballot. Organizers turned in 5,483 signatures, comfortably above the roughly 3,988 required under state rules. Under the college's informational plan, in-district tuition would be about $85 per credit hour. For students who currently pay out-of-district rates, that difference could top $12,000 in savings on a 60-credit associate degree. ACC has already scheduled a public hearing on the proposal for July 16, 2026, in Pflugerville.
What's in ACC's proposed service plan?
According to the Austin Community College District, trustees validated the petition during a special meeting and signed off on publishing an informational service plan that spells out what annexation would look like on the ground. The document details academic programs, student services, and property-tax information that would apply if voters say yes.
The plan promises in-district tuition and fees for residents inside Pflugerville ISD boundaries, plus expanded collaboration with PfISD to build career academies in health sciences, advanced manufacturing, and skilled trades. It also outlines a partnership with the district’s new Career and Technical Education facility to grow dual credit offerings and workforce certificates. The college notes that the July 16 hearing will be livestreamed on its website and rebroadcast on ACCTV so residents who cannot attend in person can still tune in and weigh in.
How the petition got here
As reported by Community Impact, organizers needed signatures from at least 5% of registered voters in the proposed territory, which translated to about 3,988 signatures. They submitted 5,483. Pflugerville ISD officials told the outlet the district did not have additional information to share at this time.
With the petition now accepted, ACC has published the proposed service plan and moved ahead with the required public hearing schedule that must come before trustees can order a November annexation election.
The numbers: tuition savings and tax tradeoffs
According to ACC's Student InfoHub, out-of-district students currently pay about $286 per credit hour, which includes a $201 out-of-district fee. In-district students pay $85 per credit hour. Over a 60-credit associate degree, that gap adds up to roughly $12,060 in potential savings for someone who moves from out-of-district to in-district rates.
The same materials list ACC's current property-tax rate at $0.1034 per $100 of assessed valuation. They describe a general homestead exemption of at least $5,000 or 1% of a home's value, plus an additional $75,000 exemption and a tax-freeze option for seniors and homeowners with disabilities. College officials say the ACC tax would show up as its own line on property tax bills if annexation passes, while emphasizing the existing senior and disability protections for qualifying households.
How annexation works under Texas law
Texas law requires a petition signed by at least 5% of registered voters in the territory and sets specific timelines for public hearings, publication of a service plan and an annexation election, according to Texas Education Code Section 130.065. Only registered voters who live inside the proposed territory may vote on the annexation question.
The statute also requires the governing board to hold at least one public hearing in the area before ordering an election. If voters approve annexation, the board then sets the effective annexation date, and the district may begin levying the ad valorem tax described on the ballot.
Campaign context and what to watch
Local advocates behind the petition have been organizing under the ACC-for-Pflugerville banner. The campaign's FAQ frames signing the petition as a way to put the question in front of voters and walks through sample tax and tuition calculations for different types of households, as laid out on ACC for Pflugerville.
Community Impact's earlier coverage reminds residents that this is not Pflugerville's first rodeo with ACC annexation. A 2018 proposal to bring a portion of Pflugerville ISD into the district failed, 53.45% to 46.55%. Given that history, organizers are likely to shape outreach to both students who stand to gain from lower tuition and nonstudent homeowners who are watching their tax bills.
The immediate next milestone is the July 16 hearing at the PfISD Learning and Technology Center at 1601 W. Pecan St. in Pflugerville. After that, ACC trustees could move to formally place the annexation measure on the November ballot, setting up a new communitywide debate over how much a college education should cost and who pays for it.
