The total $30 million in expenditures to be cut from the proposed $466 million budget would put the district in a more favorable position to reach its goals, administrators say, and lend to a balanced budget.
What you need to know
In April, RRISD Chief Financial Officer Dennis Covington shared that the district was projecting a $30 million shortfall due to increases in costs on multiple fronts, including special education services, fuel and school safety.
In recent budget updates, Covington shared that his department was working to find additional efficiencies to reduce the district’s shortfall and reliance on its fund balance to make up the difference, as the district contends with higher operating expenses and stagnating funding from the state.
The specifics
In a May 16 budget update presented to the RRISD board of trustees, Covington shared that his administration has identified the following reductions in expenditures to balance the budget.
- 52 unfilled or reassigned positions
- Increasing class sizes by about two students at the elementary, middle and high school level
- Reduced departmental and campus-level budgets
- Reductions in expenses for legal fees and other contract services
- Reductions in leasing and moving expenses for portables
- Reductions in operating expenses for athletics programming
What they're saying
"You've probably heard the word 'inflation' many times," RRISD Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez said. "I'm sure you feel it yourself as you go out to buy groceries or if you have to fix something in your house. Everything is costing more. It's about 20% inflation, so our operation costs went up, but we have about the same amount of money to operate. Our basic allotment—that's $6,160—remains the same."
What’s next?
Trustees are expected to vote on a final proposal as required by the Texas Education Agency by June 30.
