Education
BY JAMES T. NORMAN & HALEY VELASCO
Alvin and Pearland ISDs each approved their respective budgets for fiscal year 2025-26 in June, with neither expecting a shortfall in their general fund. AISD’s general fund will have $391.4 million in both revenue and expenses, which is a nearly $25 million increase compared to FY 2024-25, according to budget documents. In PISD, officials are expecting to have almost $284.9 million in revenue against nearly $280 million in expenses in the total budget, district documents show. More specifically, in PISD’s general fund, which has about $224 million in expenses, the district anticipates a surplus of around $6 million—about half of which will be put into its capital renewal plan for facility maintenance and upgrades, Superintendent Larry Berger said at the meeting. The remaining $3.3 million will go into the district’s fund balance, documents show. Alvin, Pearland ISDs OK budgets
General fund expense breakdown
Alvin ISD
Key expenses
General administration: $7.7M
$12.7M
more in instruction
Security, monitoring and data processing: $13.8M
3% $2.2M $5.8M more in facilities
Other: $19.2M
maintenance and operation
Facilities, maintenance and operations: $37.3M Instructional and school leadership: $27.2M
cost of living adjustment for employees more in TIRZ expenses*
Student support services: $42.8M
Instruction: $243.4M
Pearland ISD
Key expenses
$1.37M in additional personnel 3% savings on salaries $8.4M increase in staff pay, teacher raises $706K in additional substitute pay, stipends and adjustments
Other: $2.5M
General administration: $6.2M
Security, monitoring and data processing: $9.2M Instructional and school leadership: $15.5M
Student support services: $27.6M
Facilities, maintenance and operations: $29.8M
Instruction: $133.2M
NOTE: TIRZ IS A TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE USED TO DEVELOP SPECIFIC AREAS
SOURCES: ALVIN AND PEARLAND ISDS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Zooming out
General fund revenues FY 2025-26 Local State Federal
experience. Special education funding, student safety, teacher preparation and benefits were included in the bill as well, Community Impact previously reported. Another notable bill, Senate Bill 4, would increase the homestead exemption across the state from $100,000 to $140,000 for a school dis- trict’s portion of a property tax bill, pending voter approval in November, according to the bill’s text.
In its 89th legislative session, the state of Texas passed a few bills affecting school district budgets this year. Chief among them was House Bill 2, which injected $8.5 billion into public schools. That money will go toward increasing the basic student allotment—which is the amount of money a dis- trict gets for each student—from $6,160 to $6,215, according to the bill. Teachers were also given a raise based on their
$3.73M
$0.33M
$121.63M
$79.65M
AISD
PISD
$266.04M
$150M
SOURCES: ALVIN AND PEARLAND ISDS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
What’s next?
Tax rate by year
AISD PISD
$1.5
$1.22
$100 valuation of a home, which is lower than last year’s rate of $1.135. However, for the average home, which has a taxable value of $324,668—up from $307,746 last year—officials expect annual taxes to go up by $129. AISD could have a tax rate of $1.221, resulting in a decrease of $9.71 in the average home’s tax bill compared to last year, district officials said June 10.
Neither district adopted its tax rate in June, as officials are still waiting on certified tax rates from the state, which they will receive in July, officials said. Following that, PISD expects to adopt its tax rate in August, while AISD expects to do so in September, documents from each respective district show. While nothing is set, PISD is anticipating its tax rate to come in at a total of $1.1157 per
$1
$1.12
$0.5
$0
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025*
*PROJECTED NOTE: ALVIN ISD’S TAX RATE IS NOT SET AND COULD END UP AT $1.15 PER $100 VALUATION. SOURCES: ALVIN AND PEARLAND ISDS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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