Two-minute impact
GISD's Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Hanna described the goal of the next fiscal year's budget as a balance between increasing compensation and reducing overall budget expenditures during a Feb. 20 board meeting.
"We will prioritize any staff or program reductions within the district's mission, vision and strategic direction," Hanna said. "There will be open and timely communication with all stakeholders throughout the process. We will gather input into potential program budget changes. We will pursue efficiencies within the district educational goals."
Hanna said the district is working to increase compensation to place it in the top third of Texas school districts. It is in the bottom third, she said.
Some of the challenges faced by the district in this next fiscal year's budget mentioned by Hanna include:
- Stagnant basic allotment funding that has not been updated since 2019
- Unfunded mandates, such as House Bill 3, requiring armed guards on Texas public school campuses
- A decrease in the reimbursement for student health and related services
GISD Superintendent Devin Padavil shared if the basic allotment—the state funding received per student—were adjusted for inflation, it would be around $1,000 higher than the $6,160 allocated.
"We absolutely have to increase compensation for all of our employees," Padavil said. "At the same time, there's been the variable of inflationary costs and no change in the basic allotment per student in years. If we adjusted to inflation, the per student allotment would increase by $1,000. But there has been no increase. Something as simple as $500 per student would increase our overall revenue by $6 million."
What's next?
Hanna said her department would prepare and propose a FY 2024-2025 budget at an upcoming March board meeting.
