BY BRITTANY ANDERSON & CHLOE YOUNG
EISD explores budget shortfall, arts cuts Middle school Latin classes and a part-time fine arts position are on the line as Eanes ISD board members grapple with the district’s fiscal year 2024-25 budget, which is projected to have a multimillion dollar shortfall. Board members received information on the shortfall during the April 23 board meeting. Chief Human Resources Officer Laurie Lee said, like EISD, many other neighboring districts are looking at budget shortfalls as they adopt salary increases. The details “I think it’s really important when we look back at our 2022-23 and our 2023-24 compensation, when you add those, it’s about a 9.5% increase,” Lee said. “I feel like we were very competitive.” Scott said with his recommended 2% salary increase, the EISD budgeted shortfall—or what the
LTISD shrinks High School No. 2 The Lake Travis ISD board voted to reduce the capacity of the district’s second high school opening in 2027 at its April 17 meeting. This decision comes as LTISD expects student enrollment to be lower than previous projections in light of new demographic data. What’s happening LTISD will design and build High School No. 2 for 1,500 students with an option to build a second phase for 500 additional students if needed in the future. The district is expected to save $18 million by designing the school for 1,500 students versus 2,000, VLK Architects Principal Tom Oehler said at a March 20 meeting. The revised plan will remove 17 classrooms, 4 science labs, a gymnasium, a career technical education lab and a counselor suite.
“Eanes ISD and many other Texas public schools are not impervious to a lack of
funding. ... While we are facing a deficit, we are not slashing
programs or eliminating large numbers of staff.” JEFF ARNETT, EANES ISD SUPERINTENDENT
board will vote on—is about $3.3 million. As the district prepares to pass the budget in June, Superintendent Jeff Arnett said EISD plans to phase out its Latin program at Hill Country and West Ridge Middle Schools due to declining enrollment, and the part-time fine arts director position—held by Kerry Taylor, who is retiring in May—will not be replaced at this time. “As we begin to experience the shortfalls locally, we are cautiously making incremental adjustments to minimize expenses and to be more efficient,” Arnett said.
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LAKE TRAVIS - WESTLAKE EDITION
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