Education
BY BRITTANY ANDERSON & CHLOE YOUNG
School districts across Texas are continuing to face funding challenges due to stagnant state funding, resulting in million-dollar shortfalls. Eanes ISD adopted a fiscal year 2024-25 budget in June with a $1.2 million shortfall. Part of the district’s expenditures include personnel expenses, which included a 2% pay increase for staff and anticipated increases in employee health care costs, and $94.7 million in recapture payments to the state. Lake Travis ISD initially planned to adopt its largest budget shortfall in recent years at $6.68 million. In August, LTISD adopted its FY 2024-25 budget with a $4 million shortfall after making nearly $2.85 million in cuts to vacant positions and contracted services— around 42% of which were related to special education, district officials said. Districts battle budget problems
A closer look
In EISD, the middle school Latin course is being phased out and the part-time fine arts director position was not renewed for this school year. Superintendent Jeff Arnett said the decision to phase the course out wasn’t entirely in response to budget cuts, but declining enrollment. This year, there weren’t enough students to justify offering it at the seventh grade level, he said. While the course is still available to eighth grad- ers this school year, it is set to be phased out by next year. The high school will keep its program. Similarly, Arnett said the fine arts director posi- tion was not a direct response to budget cuts, but of restructuring. After the former director retired in May and a high school assistant principal left, the district was able to create the Dean of Arts and Student Life position at the high school, and also hired a new director of bands. In LTISD, the district cut 68 positions that
We will hurt with our infrastructure. We won’t be able to keep up with those other positions that support the classroom and support our student programs, because there is just no room in the budget for that. PAM SANCHEZ, LTISD ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR BUSINESS SERVICES were unfilled or no longer needed, including 15 monitors, 13 special services positions, 11 annual substitutes and 11 special education aides. Contracted services were also cut while some have been replaced by district employees at a lower cost to LTISD, said Pam Sanchez, assistant superinten- dent for business services.
LTISD budget cuts overview The district made the following reductions to its budget projections for fiscal year 2024-25.
Going forward
“Inflation since that time has made things, including our biggest expense, which is labor, [go] up significantly,” Scott said. LTISD changed its fiscal year from Sept. 1 to July 1, which will provide the district a one- time payment of about $10 million and help relieve future budget deficits, Sanchez said. LTISD officials will continue to monitor and may amend the FY 2024-25 budget depending on where student needs arise, she said.
Arnett said there are many programs that Eanes has traditionally offered that the community has come to expect. However, the district is having to balance those expectations with increasing financial constraints and is on the brink of having to “make some difficult decisions.” EISD CFO Chris Scott said the formula for the district’s primary funding source, the basic allotment, has not been updated since 2019.
Vacant positions: $2,145,000 Special education contracted services: $580,000 Grounds, electricity and custodial services: $120,000
Total $2.85M
SOURCE: LAKE TRAVIS ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Full-day Pre-K Needs Full-Day Funding
DID YOU KNOW?
The state requires full-day pre-K but only funds half the day.
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