Following the Sept. 9 special meeting, the board directed administration to put together the resolution for the Sept. 30 special meeting, when it was approved.
Zooming out
According to Chief Financial Officer Pete Pape, current budget projections show a $22.8 million budget shortfall in 2026-27, a $29.3 million shortfall in 2027-28 and a $32.3 million shortfall in 2028-29.
Closing and repurposing Cypress, Faubion and Steiner Ranch elementary schools were presented as potential cost-saving measures on May 29, a proposition that has faced backlash from the community.
The board discussed alternative cost-saving measures Sept. 9, including utilizing copper pennies, implementing an open enrollment policy which was later approved on Sept. 18, increasing average daily attendance, utilizing state funding from the special education allotment and selling or leasing land parcels.
The framework
Per district documents, the resolution is intended to establish a clear process for long-range planning, define roles and outline timelines for the 2026-27 school year and beyond.
Some of the key details of the resolution include:
- Campus operations and consolidation: LISD will establish criteria and thresholds for campus consolidation, develop a process to address low-enrollment and high-enrollment, and annually report campuses identified as underutilized based on approved criteria following the demographic update.
- Program analysis and modifications: LISD will engage in consultation with campus leadership, staff and community stakeholders before implementing any changes to educational programs.
- Facilities and asset management: LISD will evaluate opportunities to generate revenue from real estate assets and consider meeting district facility needs using existing facilities through co-location or repurposing.
- Revenue generation strategies: LISD will conduct a detailed analysis of available copper penny tax options, implement an open enrollment policy in 2026-27, prioritize attendance improvement, explore other revenue-generation opportunities and request the Texas Education Agency restore the $10.5 million loss of hold harmless funding.
- Expenditure reduction strategies: LISD will conduct a comprehensive staffing analysis to examine the growth in personnel costs, develop staffing guidelines, consider the impact on campuses that experienced prior reductions when making recommendations and complete a staffing study to adjust central office staffing levels.
- Community and staff engagement: LISD will engage with the community and staff members to implement solutions.
Trustee Francesca Romans said the resolution needs to implement a timeline and underutilization triggers to give administration clear parameters in order to give the community clear direction.
"If we're not going to develop timelines for this work to take place, there really is no point to this document in my opinion, because all it is is a summary of the things we've been asking for for two years," Romans said. "What we have been doing to communities is unacceptable... We're now going over two years, and nobody can make a decision. It is not okay to do that to school communities, to neighborhoods, to students or to educators."
Going forward
The board was previously slated to vote on potential cost-saving measures at the Oct. 9 board meeting, which has since been pushed back.
"We are asking for a lot of data," board president Anna Smith said. "At the end of the resolution, and I believe after the last board meeting, I do believe this board will be holding administration accountable for getting that data. I know none of us want to be in that position again. This is the end of the road here; we've got to do something."
Further special meetings between now and December could be held to go through information requested from the resolution.
What else?
The board also discussed updating the Citizens Facility Advisory Committee charters.
The CFAC utilizes LISD's long-range plan to develop bond packages, and while board has not authorized a bond election, the updated charter would ensure a bond could be held next November 2026 at the earliest.
Chief Operations Officer Jeremy Trimble said the district currently "does not have enough runway" for a May bond—which has previously been discussed—based on recent conversations, but that there are needs that will be "stacking up."
"We're typically on a four- to five-year cycle," Trimble said. "Projects are coming up due that were in the 2023 bond. ... If we were to go out for a bond in November 2026, you're really looking at a cycle that's going to get you through 2030-31."
CFAC work could begin in the spring, with a bond election held Nov. 3 if the board calls for one by Aug. 17.
