Bastrop - Cedar Creek Edition | August 2025

BY BROOKE SJOBERG

The details

Funding gap BISD ocials said the additional funding provided by the state under House Bill 2 falls short of planned expenditures for the 2025-26 nancial year.

What’s next?

Throughout the legislative session, many public school superintendents and advocacy groups called on the state to make direct increases to the basic allotment—a per-student funding source. It was increased by $55 to $6,215, falling short of the additional $1,300 requested by some schools. Max Rombado, legislative director for the public school advocacy organization Raise Your Hand Texas, said creating targeted funding allotments can be complicated in a state as large and diverse as Texas. “While the impact may generally be positive, there are a variety of complexities and dierences between school districts that might create chal- lenges when you create these guardrails around this money,” Rombado told Community Impact on July 18. White said the district’s costs for items usually covered by the basic allotment have increased by about 25% in the last four years. Sen. Brandon Creighton, RConroe, House Bill 2’s

As the district plans to accommodate a projected 47.61% increase in enrollment over the next decade, White said the district is taking a “conservative, measured approach.” “We’re just going to continue to remain diligent and do everything we can to protect our classrooms, [and] make every dollar count for our students,” White said. “A big part of that is having a handle on the projected growth because that will impact our funding for every future year.” This strategy includes careful planning, he said, to avoid outspending growth. “We’re setting budgets not just for next year—the decisions we make will impact two, three, four, ve years down the road,” White said.

HB 2 funding increases $364,000 to $786,000 $13.9 million to $14.5 million

Actual expenditure

Safety

$3 million

Special education

$17.4 million

Non- administrative raises

Up to $500,000

$2.07 million

SOURCE: BASTROP ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

sponsor in the Senate, said targeted funding will help ensure a larger share goes to classrooms. Several school districts in the area have approved smaller pay increases for sta who do not qualify for larger pay raises through HB 2, citing the legislation as a reason they were not able to provide more substantial raises.

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