BY SHAHERYAR KHAN
The conditions
What’s next?
What they’re saying
In 2019, House Bill 3 increased per student funding, but that has not kept pace with inflation or student needs, said Dax Gonzalez, Texas Association of School Board’s governmental relations director. He said that districts face stricter safety requirements without sufficient funding, as recent state laws provide minimal per-student increases and one-time grants, insufficient in the long-term. Additionally, Gonzalez said that federal COVID-19 relief funds, which had temporar- ily bolstered budgets, have run out, leaving districts to struggle to maintain programs amid rising costs.
Financial challenges for the district are in part due to loss of temporary federal aid as well as state funding reductions. Those include a $3.7 million reduction in pandemic-era federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds, a $1.7 million decrease in school health and related services funding, and $750 million in budgetary impacts from Senate Bill 2’s reductions in the amount of property taxes a district is able to collect. Despite these challenges, CISD is prioritizing 80% of its budget for teacher salaries and class- room instruction, Chapman said. Another 15% is allocated to facilities and maintenance, and 5% to instructional support services. “[We] asked for $5.4 billion for the state of Texas. ... We have to have money to continue to operate, which we did not get,” Chapman said at a July 30 Greater New Braunfels Economic Development Foundation quarterly luncheon. Average U.S. funding per student compared to total Texas student funding Funding per Texas student Average funding per U.S. student
Chapman said the district will likely prioritize cuts that minimize impact on core classroom needs. While specific areas for reduction have not been finalized, administrative costs and elective programs may be the first targets. Chapman said maintaining the district’s quality of education and supporting its growing student population will be a key focus, despite financial constraints. The district may explore alternative funding sources or adjustments in operations to manage the shortfall, he said. Looking ahead, the district will also have to closely monitor legislative developments that could affect future funding and engage with the community and stakeholders to communicate the challenges and decisions being made. The 2021 and 2023 school bonds in Comal ISD are funding new facilities across the district, including elementary, middle and high schools:
“Now you have to hire more teachers and you have to build more buildings. ... Those
are two different pots of money.” DAX GONZALEZ , TASB'S GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS DIRECTOR
Bond 2021
Farias Spitzer Elementary Comal Creek Elementary Bulverde Middle School Hill Country College Preparatory High School
2019-20
$13,501
-22.92%
$10,406
“The district has experienced exponential increases in the costs of insurance,
Bond 2023
2020-21
Elementary School No. 23 Middle School No. 9 Elementary School No. 22 Elementary School No. 21 Life Bridges No. 2
$14,358
-27.97%
utilities, instructional supplies ... and labor costs since 2019.”
$10,342
2021-22
JOHN CHAPMAN, SUPERINTENDENT
$15,633
-19.11%
SOURCE: COMAL ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
$12,645
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/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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