Education
BY BRADLEY DOUNTZ
FBISD projects $56.4M budget shortfall for 2026-27 school year During the first official 2026-2027 school year budget update at Fort Bend ISD’s Feb. 9 board meet- ing, Chief Financial Officer Bryan Guinn predicted there will be a $56.4 million budget shortfall. The new number comes after staff predicted an initial $26.2 million shortfall last summer, Guinn said. What’s changed? The change comes after the district saw 1,801 fewer students enrolled than who were budgeted for based on the Oct. 31 Public Education Infor- mation Management System, or PEIMS, snapshot, which is the state’s model on how much money they will give FBISD for the rest of the school year. Due to the difference, $18 million was added to the shortfall, Guinn said.
FBISD to vote on 7 school closures
Projected 2026-2027 budget shortfall District officials aim to bring the shortfall back to 0% in two or three years.
Initial shortfall $26.2M Enrollment loss for 2025-26 school year $18M Enrollment loss for 2026-27 school year $4.4M Enrollment loss for school vouchers $7.8M Total: $56.4M
Fort Bend ISD’s school boundary advisory committee shared its final recommendation to close seven elementary schools across the district’s northwest/central and southeast/ central areas at a Feb. 23 meeting. How we got here Officials said the proposed closures are necessary to balance enrollment as campuses become underserved and student enrollment falls with the current elementary school utilization at 74%. However, the utilization could fall an additional 7% within five years if nothing is done to address the low campus numbers. What’s next? The board is set to consider final recom- mendations March 9, after press time.
SOURCE: FORT BEND ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
When using the PEIMS snapshot figure as a foundation, factoring in outgoing seniors and incoming early education, preschool and kinder- garten students, Guinn said there will be 437 less students in the 2026-27 school year compared to this year, creating $4.4 million in lost revenue. Next steps Additional updates, workshops and a public hearing will take place before final recommenda- tions are given in May and the budget is adopted in June.
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