Plano ISD Could Put Up to $250M Into the Stars Arena Zone

Plano ISD has signed an agreement to send up to $250M of its own property-tax revenue into the tax increment zone that backs the Dallas Stars arena at Willow Bend, and the Plano City Council was asked to approve it Oct. 12. For developers, it shows how much of the public financing now rests on taxing entities other than the city.

Why it matters

The district would contribute 50% of the tax increment from its maintenance and operations (M&O) levy on value captured inside the original boundary of Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) No. 6. Its interest-and-sinking debt tax is excluded. The Plano City Council designated the zone June 8, 2026 under Ordinance 2026-6-3, and Community Impact reports the zone is the funding vehicle for the arena at The Shops at Willow Bend. The Legistar page itself does not name the arena.

The timing matters. FOX 4 reports a campaign against the venue tax, Proposition A, is active ahead of the Nov. 3 ballot. The school district’s money is separate from that vote, because it sits in a zone the council already created.

The numbers

The record, file 26-894, lists these terms:

• Plano ISD’s total contribution over the life of the agreement is capped at $250,000,000.
• The district pays 50% of its M&O increment on captured value.
• The Plano ISD Board of Trustees executed the agreement Aug. 4, 2026.

Separately, Community Impact reports the city’s own contribution to the zone is capped at $700M. We did not verify that figure against a council record. Our earlier story covers the Nov. 3 venue-tax election, and our Dallas-Fort Worth coverage tracks related projects.

What’s next

The matter page showed no final action and no posted minutes when we read it, so the outcome of the Oct. 12 vote is unverified. The agreement is a proposal until the council acts. The Nov. 3 election will decide the venue tax, and any lender or contractor tied to the project will watch both outcomes. We will update when the minutes post.