'One of the most unknown seasons': Round Rock ISD shares outlook for FY 2025-26
The upcoming budget season is one filled with uncertainty, Round Rock ISD administrators shared in February.
Among concerns about the growth in homeschool and charter school growth as well as ongoing discussions around funding at the Legislature, RRISD administrators are still working toward a balanced budget for the next financial year.
What you need to know
During the district's first budget workshop for the 2025-26 financial year, set to begin July 1, RRISD Chief Financial Officer Dennis Covington laid out a roadmap leading to an ultimate goal of a balanced budget. On that road are many uncertainties, he said in the Feb. 20 board meeting, revolving around enrollment and funding.
Read more.
Round Rock ISD floats possibility of health clinic for employees
As the school district plans its budget for the upcoming 2025-26 financial year, Round Rock ISD's chief human resource officer, Eddie Curran, has put a new spin on self-funded health care in a recent proposition to the district: open an in-house clinic.
This an option, Curran said, to reduce the cost of providing health care benefits to employees. Since 2021, the total expenditure for health insurance in RRISD increased by 15%.
What you need to know
While not an official proposal—Curran said the district would have to go out for an official request for proposal from vendors for a true cost estimate—the HR chief floated the idea to the district's board of trustees in a Feb. 20 board meeting.
Learn more about the proposal.
Round Rock ISD's short-lived surplus now projected to be $3.8M shortfall
In January, Round Rock ISD administrators shared that the district was expecting a surplus budget for the 2024-25 school year after selling $9.3 million in district property.
Just one month later, unanticipated changes in how the district receives funding have upended that expectation. A Feb. 20 financial update from the school district shows a potential shortfall of $3.8 million.
Current situation
Chief Financial Officer Dennis Covington said the change in RRISD's financial position for the current school year is mostly due to complex funding changes, which means the district will once again pay recapture. Previously, based on the hold harmless threshold for how much funding the district was expecting in property taxes due to the increase in the homestead exemption, RRISD administration estimated that they would not have to pay recapture for the 2024-25 budget year.
Read more about the district's financial position.
