The overview
During the public hearing, Chief Financial Officer Derick Sibley gave a presentation that included the following projections:
- $185.30 million in revenue
- $184.82 million in expenditures
Zooming in
Place 2 trustee Dalia Begin asked Sibley what the district’s contingency plan would be if the VATRE didn’t pass. He said the board and administration would have to “look at all things on the table” to try and close the gap.
Superintendent Brad Schnautz said he and his staff have already begun discussions on what they would do if the VATRE were to fail in November.
“What does $5.5 million look like to reduce on the expenditure side?” Schnautz asked. “That’s a reduction in force. That’s getting rid of [some] full-time employees in our district.”
Schnautz said to come up with a balanced budget for FY 2024-25, GCISD officials had to reduce expenditures by $2 million. He added trying to do so on a $6 million scale would be “massive.”
“We are coming up on a critical crossroads as far as the funding goes, and the Legislature hasn’t done their part,” Schnautz said. “We’re hoping that intelligent minds will prevail in the 89th [legislative] session, and that they will invest in public education. It’s past due for our people and for our students.”
Sorting out details
In the wake of approving the budget, board members also passed the FY 2024-25 compensation plan, which did not include salary adjustments. Chief Human Resources Officer Kelly Mires said due to the Texas Legislature choosing not to support Texas schools in light of its historic state surplus, the district would not be able to give raises to teachers and staff in the coming year.
“Looking ahead, we remain optimistic about state funding, and we will continue to advocate for financial support at all levels and explore opportunities for future raises,” Mires said.
