The $466 million operating budget includes 1% raises for employees as well as slightly larger class sizes going into the 2024-25 school year in August.
What you need to know
At a June 18 board meeting, RRISD Chief Financial Officer Dennis Covington proposed a $466 million operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year with a maximum total tax rate of $0.8949 per $100 of valuation, made up of the district's maintenance and operations rate of $0.6969 per $100 of valuation and debt service rate of $0.1980 per $100 of valuation. This is $0.0241 lower than the rate of $0.9190 per $100 of valuation ratified for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
The specifics
In a May 16 budget update presented to the RRISD board of trustees, Covington said his administration 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
"We are the only district in Central Texas passing a balanced budget, but it is not without a lot of pains," said Board President Amber Landrum. "Thanks for sticking with us during this budget season."
