District staff and the board of trustees discussed preliminary budget development in an April 14 workshop.
The overview
Projections for the FY 2025-26 general operating budget, as of April 16, include:
- $637 million in available revenue
- $15.2 million in identified cost savings
- $5.4 million shortfall
District staff have found savings through restructuring several programs and personnel positions.
Most savings with staff positions will be made through attrition. Affected staff have been informed in cases where positions are being restructured and student program changes will be communicated to families throughout the spring, district officials said.
Some context
FISD’s enrollment is expected to decline in the coming school years. The district had 1,300 fewer students than initially projected in the 2024-25 school year, Smith said during the board’s Feb. 24 budget workshop.Smith noted bills up for consideration in the Texas Legislature’s 89th session that could affect the district’s budget process.
Senate Bill 26 would give the following raises to teachers only:
- $2,500 to teachers with three to four years of experience
- $5,500 for teachers with five or more years of experience
The district’s compensation plan will be determined once the legislature passes a school finance bill, she said.
“We definitely don’t want to make any assumptions,” Smiths said.
Looking ahead
Final budget recommendations from staff—including the district’s compensation plan, debt service budget and child nutrition budget—is expected to be presented to the board in May. The board is then expected to hold a public hearing and adopt the budget in June.