As Round Rock ISD staff, administrators and trustees kick off planning for the 2026-27 fiscal year, the district's chief financial officer has named a few factors warranting consideration.
Declining student enrollment, increased operational costs and property values are some of the top concerns Chief Financial Officer Dennis Covington said are on his radar in a Feb. 19 budget update.
What you need to know
Covington presented a preliminary budget projection of $492.16 million in revenue, paired with $490.13 million in expenses. This model is based on budgeted expenses being reduced by a minimum of 10% across the board, lower enrollment and flat attendance compared to the 2025-26 financial year, he said.
The district also plans budgets for its food service program and debt service to pay bonds, but scenarios for those budgets would be presented at future meetings in the budgetary timeline, Covington said.
The discussion
The budget scenario presented reflects a 647 student decrease in enrollment, from 46,147 to 45,500 students, district documents show.
Covington said this comes as the number of charter schools in the area is increasing, as well as the state's education savings accounts program. The latter, which will provide funds for eligible families to use for private school or homeschooling expenses, is set to start in the 2026-27 school year.
"Charter school growth—this is a constant factor that affects enrollment in our school system," Covington said.
A 2024 Community Impact analysis showed that around 10% of students enrolled in the district for the 2022-23 school year left to attend a charter school. In the two years since, two more charter schools have opened in nearby Georgetown and Leander, serving the Greater Williamson County area.
Similarly, the projected budget also reflects decreased budgets for all departments, Covington said. The end result of these reductions in spending could result in elimination or addition of positions, depending on the district's needs, he said.
What's next?
This is the first of several budget presentations that will be brought before the board, Covington said. Because the district has a July 1 start to its financial year, it must pass a budget before the end of June.
