Lovejoy ISD trustees approved a straightforward series of measures Wednesday on a night when they also discussed, but took no action on, complex budgetary options in the face of an impending loss of $6 million in state funding. The board of trustees approved the $272,150 purchase of three school buses with funds stemming from the May 2014 bond election. Trustees also approved a district improvement plan to apply strategic priorities set by the board each year, including academic excellence standards and teacher retention measures. "According to our demographer’s projections, current rider patterns, and fleet replacement cycle, Lovejoy ISD is projected to purchase two to three regular route buses per year," district staff indicated in a statement to trustees. Lovejoy ISD staff briefed trustees on potential options to replace an expiring funding source that currently comprises 16 percent of the district budget: Additional State Aid for Tax Reduction. Although the district is far from approving specific methods of filling the potential $6 million gap, Chief Financial Officer Shay Adams outlined $1.3 million in direct costs associated with the district's athletics program that could be mitigated by establishing fees for student participation in sports. The cost of the athletic program per athlete comes out to $1,035, Adams said. Adams stressed a number of other options are on the table, such as admitting up to 202 more tuition-paying students who live outside Lovejoy ISD boundaries, which could raise revenues by roughly $3 million. District staff will continue to brief the board on all the options available to fill the funding gap, should the Texas Legislature decline to extend or otherwise replace the tax-reduction aid funding, Adams said. "No shocker here: It's going to be a challenging budget year," Adams said. The board took no action Wednesday on adopting a local innovation plan, opting to continue deliberation over the measure to label Lovejoy ISD as a "district of innovation" at a later date. Districts of innovation are exempt from certain state rules, including mandatory school start dates. Trustees also approved Joseph Sofia for the district's director of technology position. Sofia had previously held the title of network administrator.