The EISD board of trustees voted on the items during its Jan. 14 regular meeting, ending months long discussions on whether implementing the changes will help alleviate some of the district's anticipated $6.5 million budget shortfall next year.
The campus blend was unanimously approved, while the discontinuation of Spanish Immersion was approved in a 5-2 vote, with council members Kim McMath and Ellen Balthazar dissenting.
How we got here
The board adopted its fiscal year 2024-25 budget in June with a $1.2 million anticipated shortfall, but in October received updated information that lower-than-projected enrollment and certifiable tax values increased the shortfall to $3.3 million.
The board has discussed its anticipated shortfalls during several other meetings, including a special budget workshop Nov. 11 and a blend community meeting Dec. 11.
Along with blending the campuses and discontinuing SI, other cost saving measures have been proposed by district officials, including:
- Adopting nine copper pennies that would raise the tax rate and generate $4 million for EISD, but the remaining $16 million of the $20 million in tax revenue generated would be sent back to the state
- Eliminating Professional Learning Communities periods for sixth through 12th grade English, math, science and social studies teachers
- Selling facility naming rights, such as the stadium and performing arts center
- Making staff reductions through attrition
- Freezing staff salaries
Over 30 community members spoke during the public forum before the vote, including Valley View Elementary parent Lauren Amador, who said the blend was a "quick fix" to minimize anger for budget problems that have been around for years.
Valley View Elementary has faced declining enrollment for years, and in 2023, officials said they would focus on growing the campus by updating its transfer policies and implementing SI.
"Parents invested nearly $50,000 on campus improvements in the past year," Amador said. "Hundreds of thousands of dollars in our 2023 bond money have also been spent on our campus. Instead, we are met with the news that everything we have built is being erased without the respect and time this type of decision deserves."
However, several trustees defended their vote to blend the campuses, including trustee Heather Sheffield, who said EISD needs to be fiscally responsible to protect itself in the long term.
"You can say that it's our mismanagement, but frankly, we have had a balanced budget for years," Sheffield said. "The state continues to underfund public education and continues to put unfunded mandates on our district, and that is the issue here."
What else?
Many parents also spoke in support of continuing SI, with Balthazar suggesting a substitute motion to table the issue as over 276 parents pledged $900,000 to financially support the program through the Eanes Education Foundation.
Chief Financial Officer Chris Scott said the district takes into account donations it receives from EEF when drafting yearly budgets, but trustee Kelly Marwill voiced concerns with basing a budget decision on pledges, and the substitute motion ultimately failed.
Managing the impact
Most of the board's budgeting decisions are being made pending action taken during the 89th Texas Legislature, which convened Jan. 14.
School district officials across the state, including EISD, have created a list of legislative priorities calling for legislators to allocate more dollars toward public schools.
Raising the basic allotment—or how much districts are paid per student—continues to be one of the highest priorities, as the amount has not increased from $6,160 since 2019, despite over 20% inflation.
Scott said absent any special called sessions, the board should know by June what kind, if any, of additional public school funding was approved.
"The issue that we're now approaching is that the fund balance is getting to a level that if it goes much lower we're going to have real cash flow issues in the fall, and making payroll would be difficult," Scott said. "We anticipate at the end of this year, our fund balance as a percent of expenditures will be about at that 25% limit."
Next steps
- Jan. 28: board will consider additional decisions related to the blend
- Spring: board will direct further efficiencies or reductions to offset the shortfall
- May 20: board may vote on freezing staff salaries, if needed
- June 24: last day for the board to propose a November election to approve copper pennies
