Balancing growth From the cover
The conditions
In a nutshell
Rocky Gardiner, director of school district consulting for demographics rm Zonda Education, said BISD grew by 1,900 students in the last ve years, a 17.25% increase. In the next decade, BISD is projected to grow by about 6,000 students. Gardiner attributed this growth to housing and business development. White said this growth brings more state funding, accompanied by a need for new schools.
Bastrop ISD is one of two school districts in Community Impact ’s coverage areas in the Austin region to pass a balanced budget and provide raises to all sta for the 2025-26 nancial year—along with Georgetown ISD. Amid statewide enrollment and school funding challenges, the district’s student population is also one of the fastest-growing in the region. Chief Financial O cer Mike White said the district’s growth-based funding model guided administrators in responsibly planning for the future. The district made $7.6 million in budget adjustments during the 2024-25 nancial year to stave o a nancial challenge, he said. In addition to state-mandated raises for teachers with more than three years of experience, the district also approved pay increases for newer teachers and
Compensation increases
Support sta and paraprofessionals: 5% Administrators: 3.5% Teachers with one to two years of experience: 3% Starting pay for teachers raised from $56,000 to $57,750 per year
Enrollment projections
SOURCE: BASTROP ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
non-teaching sta . White said the raises are possible through state funding tied to enrollment growth and money freed up from budget cuts made last scal year. “We do everything we can for sta , but there’s a lot of uncertainty when you go into a legislative session,” White said.
+47.61%
20K
19,741
15K 10K
13,373
5K
0
SOURCE: ZONDA EDUCATION COMMUNITY IMPACT
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