On June 18, Tomball ISD’s board of trustees approved adopting the district’s fiscal year 2024-25 budget, which features a $9.1 million general fund shortfall amid 19% in inflation increases, district leaders say.

What you need to know

On June 17 and 18, TISD Chief Financial Officer Zack Boles presented the final version of the district’s FY 2024-25 budget and tax rates. According to Boles’ presentation and TISD budget documents, the FY 2024-25 budget includes:
  • $214 million in general fund revenues, a 5.4% increase compared to the FY 2023-24 budget
  • $223.1 million in general fund expenditures, a 7.1% increase compared to the amended FY 2023-24 budget
  • $193.9 million in payroll costs, which represents about 87% of expenditures compared to about $179.6 million in FY 2023-24
  • $39.8 million more in state funding compared to FY 2023-24, while local funding will be $28.8 million less; federal funding did not change
"We've seen that percentage of state contribution in the revenue side increase over the last few years, specifically, since 2019 as the state has continued to push for the reduction of the maintenance and operation side of the tax rate," Boles said. "So as that reduction occurs, the state has to pick up a proportionate amount of funding for the districts that were no longer collecting from the local taxpayer."

TISD will employ 2,952 total staff—including educators, administrators and auxiliary staff—which is 183 more employees than in FY 2023-24, according to budget documents. Student-to-staff and student-to-teacher ratios will remain about the same as in 2023-24.

Quote of note


On June 17, multiple trustees noted they do not like passing budgets with shortfalls, but TISD has been preparing for this year's gap.

"[The $9.1 million gap] doesn't mean we're going to go borrow $9 million from some bank," board Vice President Justin Unser said. "We're not going into debt. We have the money to fund this."

In case you missed it

On May 14, TISD trustees approved an employee raise of 2% of the midpoint pay grade value for the upcoming school year, as previously reported by Community Impact.


The context

Public school districts across the Greater Houston area are facing general fund shortfalls for fiscal year 2024-25 for a variety of factors, such as increased inflation and a lack of added public school funding from the 88th legislative session. Of 16 Greater Houston-area school districts covered by Community Impact, TISD had the fifth-highest budget shortfall adjusted for 2023-24 enrollment with $409 per student.

Stay tuned

At the end of April, TISD leaders received their first preliminary estimates for the district’s annual tax rates from the Harris Central Appraisal District, Boles said May 13. Boles said the district saw a 6.7% increase in taxable value, but the preliminary tax rate estimates given represented a minimal change compared to the FY 2023-24 tax rates.


The district's tax rate is $1.0652 per $100 valuation. According to the May presentation, the preliminary tax rates for FY 2024-25 are:
  • An maintenance and operation tax rate—which pays for TISD’s general fund budget—of $0.6692 per $100 valuation
  • An interest and sinking tax rate—which funds debt service from bonds—of $0.3960 per $100 valuation
Final tax rate information will be provided to the district in August, Boles said.