A near-$1 billion Austin ISD budget and unchanged property tax rate are on the books for fiscal year 2014.

At its Aug. 27 meeting, the AISD board of trustees unanimously approved the district's budget—projecting $996.75 million in expenditures and other uses and $968.76 million in revenue and other sources—as well as the same tax rate as fiscal year 2013, $1.242 per $100 of property valuation.

During the 2013 fiscal year, the district implemented a one-time payment to staff equivalent to a 3 percent raise. The 2014 budget includes money to maintain that raise for another year and add another 1.5 percent increase to be paid in two lump sums to regular staff, board President Vincent Torres said.

"We have a lot of good teachers and administrators in the district, and we need to continue to try to stay competitive," he said.

The district is facing a shortfall of about $30 million, and Torres said the district has built up its reserves in preparation for such a deficit. AISD Chief Financial Officer Nicole Conley said the district will likely draw about $20 million from its reserves and use cost containment strategies to make up the rest. She added AISD must find a permanent revenue stream and may have to consider a tax ratification election in 2015. A school district must hold a TRE to raise its maintenance and operations rate above $1.04 per $100 of property valuation, according to state law.