At its June 2 regular board meeting, the Tomball ISD board voted to approve a pay raise for all teachers and staff in the district as well as approve the general budget for fiscal year 2026-27.
Meeting highlights
The current 2% pay raise aligns with past yearly moves the district has made to retain and reward teachers for their work. As previously reported, TISD approved a 2% pay raise for last year's 2025-26 budget. This current pay raise would be the 15th consecutive year with an approved pay raise.
“I'm glad we’re able to give a raise, and I’m fully supportive of that. I think 2% is the right number for this year. I wish it could be more, but let's see what happens in the years out,” TISD board Vice President John McStravik said.
The board also voted to approve the general, food service and debt service funds for FY 2026-27. At its June 1 workshop meeting, TISD Chief Financial Officer Zack Boles presented the updated budget proposal to the board.
Boles said the food service budget covers all the operations of the district's child nutrition department. Boles projects a balanced budget for FY 2026-27 at $13.12 million.
The debt service budget covers the amount of debt the district can take on for the year, as voted on by residents in bond elections. The budget is projected to be balanced at $87 million for FY 2026-27.
Budget explained
The approved budget has a shortfall, though not as high as previously reported. Since last month's budget workshop, the district is projected to have an additional $2.1 million in revenue for next year's budget, Boles said.
The new general fund budget for FY 2026-27 is $258.5 million rather than the initial proposed $256.4 million. The projected expenditures are $264.4 million; the new budget shortfall is expected to be $5.9 million rather than the original projection of $8 million. TISD trustee Patrick Beecher said the board members are not fans of the current situation, but they are confident the district will be able to overcome it.
“Although I don't like voting for a budget with a deficit in there, I do recognize that it's a timing issue and we're opening a new school. I have confidence in the staff that we can make that up ... I think it's important we use the tools and avenues we have available to get this out to the public and help them understand this complicated issue and the difficulty the state legislature has put on us,” Beecher said.
