The details
Allison Davenport, RISD’s executive director of finance, presented a timeline of budget development to the school board, although she said the dates are subject to change.
The board is set to receive presentations throughout the spring as they work to develop the budget.
The board plans on approving the 2026-27 compensation plan, which covers pay increases for teachers and other district employees, in the May 7 meeting. The board members are set to approve the new budget in their June 4 meeting, after a public hearing on the proposed budget and tax rate.
The new tax rate would be adopted Sept. 17, and tax bills with the approved tax rate mailed Oct. 1.
Some context
When RISD adopted its 2025-26 operating budget last year, district officials said they expected to end this year with a roughly $28 million shortfall.
The 2026-27 budget will also be the first to reflect legislation passed in this year’s Texas legislative session, such as House Bill 2 that restructured school finance.
What’s next
Superintendent Tabitha Branum said that each of the district cabinet members have been tasked with analyzing their staffing and looking at Richardson’s benchmark districts to determine where to find efficiencies.
“Our team has been hard at work the last eight to 10 weeks to make sure that we are prepared to bring forward a menu of different options as we continue to work towards a more balanced budget,” Branum said.
