A closer look
Since KISD trustees adopted the district’s 2025 legislative priorities Nov. 11, district staff have held five meetings with at least 100 community stakeholders, KISD Chief of Staff Dayna Hernandez said Jan. 13. The district’s meetings were held to gather feedback on the priorities and spread awareness about budget challenges ahead of the 89th Texas legislative session.
“These participants provided a lot of good feedback, and it's going to be important because we do need everyone's help to protect the high quality of instruction that we’re accustomed to here in KISD for every student,” Chief Financial Officer Daniel Schaefer said.
According to KISD’s website, the district’s legislative priorities for 2025 are:
- Funding: KISD is advocating for an increase of the basic allotment—which is $6,160 per student and has not been upped since 2019—and more funding for state mandates.
- College, career and military readiness program innovation: The district hopes more funding will be dedicated for dual-enrollment college courses, workforce development programs and military enlistment opportunities so the programs can better prepare students for “post-graduation success.”
- Teacher and staff recruitment and retention: The district is asking for state help with retention incentives, such as increased teacher pay and flexibility when hiring “hard-to-fill positions.”
- Safety and security: To help fund campus security, mental health resources and emergency preparation, KISD is requesting the state allocate more money for safety measures.
- Transparency and accountability: A state voucher program would give families public money to send their children to private schools, but KISD opposes a program that does not require private schools comply with the same standards as public schools. Also, the district is advocating for clarification on state accountability metrics by June 1.
According to KISD’s Jan. 13 presentation, “underfunded mandates” cost KISD about $76 million per year. Areas not receiving enough funding include:
- Special education, which is underfunded by about $51.4 million
- Transportation, which is underfunded by about $15.8 million
- Safety, which is underfunded by about $8.7 million
With the Texas Legislature underway, the next steps for KISD’s advocacy will be to select five “legislative captains” for the Klein Leadership Coalition to work with legislators on behalf of the district, Hernandez said.
