The Frisco ISD board of trustees approved the 2017-18 fiscal year budget that incorporates 59 strategies to reduce costs and generate additional revenue.

The budget will bring in an operating revenue of $477.1 million. It is based on a nine-month, priorities-based budget process in which the district received input and feedback from employees, parents and residents.

“This was a long [budget] process that was thought over time and time again by different groups,” trustee Debbie Gillespie said.

Budget strategies include a pay-to-play fee that will charge middle school athletes $100 and high school athletes $200. Other extracurricular programs, such as theater and dance, will have their budgets reduced. According to the district, allowances will be made for students needing assistance.

One of the strategies includes a 2 percent pay raise for all eligible employees, which would cost the district $7.5 million. According to the district, the pay raise would address concerns about rising health care premiums and increasing salaries across the region.

During the public input portion of the meeting, some residents expressed concern that the district did not act sooner once officials knew state funding would be decreased.

Trustee Bryan Dodson said as the district lost more state funding, officials have made cuts when necessary but done so quietly. He encouraged residents who wanted to know more to reach out to staff or board members for more information.

Before the budget process began last year, trustees voted to delay the opening of four new schools---Memorial High School, Lawler Middle School, and Talley and Liscano elementary schools---until 2018. Delaying the opening of the schools will save the district more than $15 million in operational costs.

Trustee Anne McCausland said the budget would impact everybody in some way, but the overall goal of the budget was to not impact student opportunity.

New board President John Classe said now that the FY 2017-18 budget is approved, the district will work on next year’s budget.

“There’s more work to be done,” he said.