Education
BY JARRETT WHITENER
BISD trustees review 2023-24 financial efficiency audit Boerne ISD trustees reviewed a financial audit for the 2023-24 school year Oct. 27. Breaking it down Efficiency audit findings show BISD’s operating expenditures for all funds totaled $9,361 per student, while peer districts and the state average were $10,661 per student and $12,944 per student, respectively. The average teacher salary was $59,514 for the district, and $61,743 and $62,463 for peer district and state averages, respec- tively. 85% of BISD’s funding went toward payroll, compared to the state average of 77.8%, according to the audit.
BISD tax rate election approval increases staff pay The Boerne ISD tax rate is officially approved following the canvassing of the Nov. 4 election results, which showed voter support for the district to use its remaining golden pennies—a funding mechanism the district can use to generate revenue not subject to state recapture. The overview Election results Key:
For: 51.3% 6,241 Voters Against: 48.7% 5,933 Voters
According to a Nov. 5 news release, BISD’s VATRE will yield $3 million in local funding and require the state to kick in 60 cents for every dollar. Over 80% of the total $4.8 million has been earmarked to increase staff salaries, including: • Restructuring the pay of teachers, nurses and counselors • Raising the minimum wage of auxiliary workers to $15 an hour and paraprofessional staff to $16 an hour • Raising the minimum teacher starting pay from $55,142 to $60,000 • Creating stipends to retain special education teachers • $500,000 in additional contributions to employee healthcare premiums The remaining 20% was budgeted to support program growth and facility needs. Superintendent Kristin Craft said the district has to work to ensure all of the information is updated properly to bring employees up to the new scale, but staff can expect to see back pay in December. “More than 1,400 employees will see an immedi- ate impact,” she said. What’s next? The raises and new pay scales are scheduled to be fully implemented in January.
12,174 total voters
Boerne ISD VATRE salary funding
Key:
Teachers: $2.42M Hourly staff: $765.3K Healthcare benefits: $500K Professional- campus: $219.5K Professional-department: $66.5K
Payroll expenditures
SOURCES: KENDALL COUNTY, BEXAR COUNTY, COMAL COUNTY, BOERNE COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Key:
The golden penny approval is permanent, mean- ing the revenue will be generated in each budget moving forward, Craft said. While the tax rate is classified as an increase, the Nov. 4 voter approval of the increase to the homestead exemption will reduce the average taxes paid by residents. For fiscal year 2025-26, the average taxable value on BISD residential properties is $488,000 , and a property owner would pay $4,938 annually. Com- pared to FY 2024-25, the new tax rate would result in an average decrease of $80 in overall taxes paid.
Boerne ISD Peer district average State average
NOTE: PEER DISTRICTS ARE COMPARABLE DISTRICTS DETERMINED BY THE COMPANY PERFORMING THE AUDIT.
SOURCE: BOERNE ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
BISD students show growth in advanced academics
Boerne ISD college, career and military readiness
Poulis said the enrollment of students in advanced academics has increased from 7,537 in the 2023-24 school year to 9,211 in the 2025-26 school year. These enrollment numbers duplicate students who take multiple courses. The number of students participating in AP courses increased by 14% between 2023-24 and 2025-26. Poulis said the district has helped save families around $1.8 million in the 2025-26 school year by students earning college credit prior to graduation.
Year over year, more Boerne ISD students are being identified as gifted or talented, and students are performing better on college-readiness exams. Crissy Poulis, director of Advanced Academics and College, Career and Military Readiness for BISD, shared an update on student advanced academics during the Oct. 27 board meeting. The breakdown As of Sept. 15, around 10.3% of BISD students are identified as being gifted or talented, Poulis said.
The number of BISD students who pursue college, a career or the military upon graduation has increased every year.
95%
2024-25
90%
2023-24
86%
2022-23
71%
2021-22
SOURCE: BOERNE ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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