Bastrop ISD highlights growth, funding challenges heading into 2026-27 budget planning

Per the district's budget schedule, a proposal will be considered in May.

He said the district has not observed the projected student growth included in previous demographic updates from firm Zonda Education for the 2025-26 school year.

What they're saying

BISD was set to add 480 students to its roll for this school year, but enrollment has remained flat week to week, he said.

"We've probably had an average of 3.5% growth for 15 years," White said. "This year it's very flat, if not some weeks a net loss."

The details

Enrollment alone can have a significant impact on the district's outlook, White said, as state and federal funding for each student amounts to roughly $10,000. This comes as the state's education savings accounts program, providing funds for eligible families to use for private school or homeschooling expenses, is set to start in the 2026-27 school year. While White said the relative capacity of local private schools to draw students from the district is low, every student counts.

White said he also anticipates a slowdown in home sales and a reduction in property values. While this is not expected to have a major impact on the maintenance and operations budget, which funds BISD's day-to-day operations, it could impact debt service revenues. He said his staff is monitoring the situation to ensure BISD maintains the capacity to pay debt for the 2021 and 2023 bond programs.

What's next?

White said the district will receive a new demographic update in April. The update is expected to include new projections for student growth, he said. Budget discussions will continue in March and April.