The board unanimously adopted its $1.2 billion budget after months of community feedback and planning from the district finance department. The final motion included an amendment that allows the superintendent to retroactively change staff salaries to meet recommended market adjustments.
Trustees said they prioritized salary increases, reinstating bus routes and working toward a balanced budget.
With $1.1 billion in revenue, district officials said they expect a shortfall of $45.5 million. They said the shortfall would have been higher if not for $62 million in additional funding from House Bill 2. Expenses for FY 2025-26 include:
- $14 million to fund a 4% pay increase for all nonteaching staff
- $4.1 million to fully reinstate bus transportation
- $2 million to increase salaries for teachers with one to two years of experience
- $1.8 million to increase starting hourly pay for paraprofessionals, or classroom aides, to $15 per hour
Public input
After a year of pushing the board to reinstate bus routes, noting safety concerns for students and time constraints for parents, community members were relieved to see transportation accounted for in the budget. As of press time, it’s unclear what the exact routes will look like for the upcoming year.
“Passing this budget puts CFISD back on the path to amazing by ensuring every student has a safe and reliable way to get to school,” said Jarred Hostetler, a parent who previously advocated for bus routes to be reinstated.
On the other hand
Over a dozen attendees at the meeting made last-minute pleas for higher wages, saying the 4% pay raise still isn’t a living wage for paraprofessionals, who make less than $30,000 annually.
Anissa Bax, a full-time paraprofessional in the district, said she was evicted from her apartment because she couldn’t afford rent. After moving in with her parents, Bax said she commuted about an hour from Richmond to continue working in Cy-Fair because she loves working with her students.
“No full-time Cy-Fair ISD employee should be living on poverty wages,” said Nikki Cowart, president of the local teachers union, Cy-Fair American Federation of Teachers.
Despite the comments, the board did not add any additional pay specifically for paraprofessionals in the final budget.
Looking forward
CFISD officials said additional funding from the state alleviated some of their budget concerns this year, but HB 2 didn’t entirely solve the district’s funding issues. Trustee and board secretary Justin Ray said the district will need to source additional revenue from the state or local property taxes and consider more cuts in the future, all while minimizing the impact on classrooms.
“Though we’re breathing a little easier, it is temporary,” Ray said. “We still have a budget gap that will need to be addressed.”
