Cy-Fair Edition | April 2025

BY RYAN REYNOLDS

What’s being done

What they’re saying

Looking ahead

Teacher experience data from the TEA shows district educators who are new to the eld increased by 4.4 percentage points since 2019. CFISD ocials said recruitment eorts include: • Recruiting at Texas university programs • Implementing paid-teacher residencies • Hosting targeted events for certied teachers • Providing internship opportunities • Oering a teaching and training program for high school students

“We’re doing a lot more with less, and we really need ... our Legislature to realize that we need more money. If you go through every year cutting, people start leaving a school district. … I really fear for the

Key bills Cy-Fair ISD is monitoring

House Bill 2 Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado Increases basic allotment, transitions special education funding to an intensity-based formula, creates new allotments for ne arts and property insurance, and establishes a grant program that o ers additional funding HB 3 Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado Creates an educational savings account program that allocates state funding for students attending private schools or homeschool

future if we don’t get more funding.” DOUG KILLIAN, CFISD SUPERINTENDENT

Changes in educator experience

152% increase in teachers with emergency or provisional credentials since the pandemic 7.6% of educators were new to the eld in 2024—up from 3.3% in 2019 177 more teachers not teaching in the subject or eld for which the teacher is certied or licensed since the pandemic

“I’m thankful that my school districts, like Cy-Fair, … prioritize this tax relief [via the local optional homestead exemption]

for their residents at the expense of raising additional tax revenue.” STATE REP. LACEY HULL, R HOUSTON

HB 8 Rep. Morgan Meyer, R-University

Reduces the maximum compressed tax rate by an additional $0.0331 for the 2025-26 school year, lowering the amount of property tax revenue available for public school districts Senate Bill 4 with Senate Joint Resolution 2 Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston Would allow voters to approve increasing the homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000, providing homeowners with tax relief while the state makes up the di erence in public school funding Committee Substitute SB 26 Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe Establishes a teacher retention allotment based on district size and teacher experience and increases the amount for each designation in the Teacher Incentive Allotment; provides tuition-free pre-K, liability insurance for classroom teachers and a grant program that o ers additional funding

SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY COMMUNITY IMPACT

Taking a step back

“When UPS and Amazon had to increase driver pay because people were purchasing online, they were able to pass on this price increase to the consumer. … We are absorbing the cost with no

Traci Schluter, CFISD director of psychological services, said that immediately post-pandemic, students, sta and families in the school district experienced the same negative eects as the rest of the nation. “CFISD is fortunate to have a wide range of mental health resources available to students who are experiencing challenges,” Schluter said in an email statement. Mental health resources • Guidance and counseling support, and school psychologists at every campus • School-based social workers who directly address mental health needs and connect families with community resources • Mental health intervention team supports campuses and procedures when working with high-risk mental health concerns • Free employee assistance program and wellness counseling program for sta • Self-care, personal management and stress relief workshops

increases in revenue.” KAREN SMITH, CFISD CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

“We’re doing everything we can to plug holes on a ship, but we can’t do that indenitely … These numbers do paint a picture of a school district that needs help.”

SB 260 Sen. Joan Human, R-Houston

Doubles the school safety allotment from $10 to $20 per student based on average daily attendance and for each campus from $15,000 to $30,000

JUSTIN RAY, CFISD BOARD SECRETARY

SOURCE: CYFAIR ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT

CY FAIR EDITION