In a March 14 email to district families, KISD board President Charles Randklev and Interim Superintendent Cory Wilson said “managing our existing bond debt” was an insurmountable obstacle to reshape the district, and that "there is no viable path forward" to split KISD in two.
The details
Beyond identifying the district’s debt load as a major factor to cancelling its reshaping effort, Randklev and Wilson gave a history of financial challenges over the past two years that lead to talks of a possible split. These items include:
- Insufficient state funding
- Record inflation
- Declining enrollment
- Prior budget decisions
A closer look
The email states the district currently carries over $700 million in debt from previous bonds. Had the district split into two, the email states, “distributing this debt fairly would require tens of millions in additional funding—resources we simply do not have. While we recognize the potential benefits of reshaping the district, the challenges listed above make it clear there is no viable path forward.”
As the district prepares for the 2025-26 school year, projections indicate a $9.4 million budget deficit, officials said.
At the Feb. 27 board meeting, Chief Operations Officer John Allison detailed what the district could do to prepare for the shortfall, which include increasing the student-teacher ratio by an average of 0.5 in middle and high school, reducing district-level positions and cutting transportation costs. Other avenues the board discussed to save money was closing elementary schools, which Allison said they would start discussing early next fall.
