Property tax
Homestead Exemption Cuts Your School Tax Bill
If you own and live in your home in Bastrop County, you can apply for a homestead exemption that removes $140,000 from your school district taxable value.
Texas law requires every school district to give homeowners a $140,000 reduction on the appraised value used to calculate school taxes. On a home appraised at $350,000, you would only owe school taxes on $210,000. That is the mandatory amount; individual taxing units like a county or a city can add their own local-option exemptions on top of that.
To get the exemption, you file with Bastrop Central Appraisal District (Bastrop CAD), not the tax office. The standard deadline is April 30 of the year you qualify, but Texas law allows a late filing up to two years after taxes become delinquent. There is no fee to file. You can submit the application by email to exemptions@bastropcad.org or drop it off at 212 Jackson Street in Bastrop.
Homeowners 65 or older qualify for an additional $60,000 school district exemption, plus a tax freeze on the school portion of the bill. Disabled homeowners get the same $60,000 add-on. Check Bastrop CAD's website for the current form and for any local-option exemptions that may also apply.
Source to confirm: Bastrop CAD – Exemptions