The district's theme for the year is “cultivate,” which emphasizes resilience, hope and faith, Comal ISD Superintendent John Chapman said at a July 30 Greater New Braunfels Economic Development Foundation quarterly luncheon.
The update
The district projects an increase in student enrollment, expecting 30,000 students this upcoming 2024-25 school year and nearly 40,000 by 2033, Chapman said.
To accommodate this growth, the district is constructing new schools, including middle school number nine and elementary school number 23 in the Mayfair development, Chapman said.
Currently, 122 classrooms are housed in portable buildings across the district, Chapman said.
The district is currently second in the state for the rate of residential growth, which impacts its planning and development strategies, Chapman said.
He said this rapid growth necessitates adjustments in infrastructure, staffing and other educational services to accommodate the expanding student population.
The action taken
Chapman presented Comal ISD's 5-year plan, focusing on increasing student numbers by expanding facilities and hiring more staff.
“One of our biggest initiatives for the next five years is early literacy, and college and career military readiness," Chapman said.
Chapman referred to Mike Morath, commissioner of education for the Texas Education Agency, stating students reading on grade level by third grade are significantly more likely to succeed academically.
“If a student is reading at grade level by third grade, their chances of being college-ready increase fourfold,” Chapman said.
Chapman also highlighted a discrepancy between the number of students who plan to attend college and those who actually graduate in all of Texas.
“[In all of Texas] 73% of the kids say they're going to college and in four years 23% graduate ... [in] five years 27% graduate college,” Chapman said.
The district aims to address this gap by preparing students not only for college but also for alternative career paths.
Chapman said the district is implementing programs—such as Texas Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools—which allow students to earn industry-based certifications and associate degrees while still in high school.
The district is seeking partnerships with local businesses to create internships and job opportunities for students, Chapman said.
"We're being very aggressive about this,” Chapman said. “We're now meeting every parent and every child in fifth grade. ... [We're going to] sit down and we're going to talk about some pathways."
What else?
Chapman addressed the significant budget deficit faced by Comal ISD, despite the $60 billion in rainy day funds available at the state level—which includes $33 billion in general revenue surplus and $27 billion in the economic stabilization fund.
However, as that funding has not been allocated to public education or elsewhere by the state, the district is encountering financial difficulties due to reductions in key funding sources, Chapman said.
There have been cuts in areas such as:
- $1.7 million from school health and related services
- $3.7 million reduction in elementary and secondary school emergency relief funds
- $730 million reduction due to Senate Bill 12
- 80% allocated to teacher salaries and classroom instruction
- 15% allocated to facilities and maintenance
- 5% allocated to instructional support services, including educational materials and resources
Chapman said $5.4 billion was requested by the district during the last legislative session.
“We asked for $5.4 billion for the state of Texas. ... We have to have money to continue to operate which we did not get,” Chapman said.
