Education Education Edition
BY BRITTANY ANDERSON
2025
Readers, welcome to your annual CI Education Edition! Education in Texas has undergone some signi cant changes over the last few months. As the landscape in Texas and beyond continues to evolve at a rapid pace, our team of local reporters is looking at how those changes will aect you, your family, and the Leander/Liberty Hill community. This month, we’re taking an in-depth look at the changes and challenges facing the Leander Independent School District, as well as digging into some statewide coverage that will aect all Texans in the coming months. We’re catching up on the A-F accountability ratings from the Texas Education Agency, which have been held up in legal battles for the last several months. And we’ll be reporting on updates from Austin Community College to provide comprehensive coverage of the education news that matters in your community.
What's inside
Learn about the newest advances at Austin Community College (Page 12)
Steve Guntli Editor sguntli@ communityimpact.com
See how local districts fared in the most recent TEA accountability ratings (Page 14)
Catch up on the new legislation aecting education statewide (Page 17)
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Leander ISD ocials consider plan for repurposing campuses
As Leander ISD ocials consider implement- ing cost-saving measures such as closing and repurposing campuses and updating stang guidelines, the board of trustees held a board workshop meeting Sept. 9 to discuss future budget shortfalls and long-range planning. Some context The district adopted its 2025-26 budget in June with a $20.2 million shortfall. House Bill 2 funded LISD sta raises but could not be used to oset the shortfall, Chief Financial Ocer Pete Pape said. Chief Operations Ocer Jeremy Trimble pre- sented three pathways to the board of trustees during the May 29 meeting that could net the district millions of dollars in savings. Trimble said the pathways were determined due to LISD’s shifting enrollment patterns and uneven facility utilization, and that the campuses considered for consolidation were slated to be under 60%
Potential optimization actions
Cost savings
Consolidate: • Faubion to Westside Elementary • Cypress to Naumann Elementary • Steiner Ranch between Laura W. Bush and River Ridge elementary schools Update stang guidelines districtwide to reduce roles to one or to part-time: • Assistant principal • Counselor • Instructional coach • Art and performing art • Librarian • Gifted and talented • Reading specialist • Dyslexia
Path 1
$4.1 M
• English as a Second Language • Special education coordinator
Path 2
$1.7 M
Update: • Stafing guidelines at Naumann and Cypress
Consolidate: • Faubion to Westside • Steiner Ranch to Laura W. Bush and River Ridge
Path 3
$3.5 M
SOURCE: LEANDER ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT
were discussed such as open enrollment, increasing average daily attendance and selling or leasing land. The board will discuss options at its Sept. 18 meeting and could vote on the actions Oct. 9.
utilization in the coming years. LISD is projecting a $22.8 million shortfall in 2026-27 that does not include any sta raises, which Superintendent Bruce Gearing said is “unsustainable” going forward. Other potential revenue generating streams
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LEANDER LIBERTY HILL EDITION
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