San Antonio Impartial College District board of trustees adopted a $541.1 million price range for the 2025-26 faculty 12 months.
The price range, district officers stated, doesn’t account for not too long ago handed state laws that might impression public faculty funding. Trustees additionally adopted a $46.6 million deficit throughout the June 24 board assembly, which is $4.4 million lower than the district’s 2024-25 price range shortfall.
Dottie Carreon, the district’s chief monetary officer, stated the board is predicted to amend the price range as soon as the interpretation and implementation particulars of Home Invoice 2 are “firmed up” by the Texas Training Company.
“We’re persevering with to price range conservatively,” she defined.
Carreon additionally expects the district’s price range deficit, which has already shrunk for the reason that final fiscal 12 months, to be smaller after getting cash from the state.
HB 2, an $8.5 billion public faculty funding invoice, prioritizes trainer raises for classroom instructors with three or extra years of expertise. Below the invoice, faculty districts should observe the state’s course on the best way to use the funding for essentially the most half.
Moreover, Senate Invoice 4 and Senate Invoice 23 may enhance the homestead exemption for disabled and aged residents, limiting the income faculty districts can gather by means of their tax charges. Each payments are contingent on voter approval in November.
SAISD expects to obtain about $24.5 million from the state below HB 2, — a really conservative estimate — and is on the hook for $2.1 million to cowl the price of implementing obligatory trainer raises.
After accounting for state mandated trainer raises, the district might be left with roughly $14 million in state {dollars}, which it could possibly apply to its price range deficit and different discretionary prices.
The 2025-26 price range additionally features a $14 million compensation bundle the district permitted in April to lift wages for academics, paraprofessionals and auxiliary personnel. Since HB 2 mandates raises for academics with three or extra years of expertise, the district’s price range excludes the price of raises for these positions.
SAISD nonetheless plans to undergo with raises for different positions, together with elevating beginning trainer pay to $60,000 and enhance salaries for academics with one or two years of expertise by 3%.
Total, the district plans to spend about $21.5 million on raises for the upcoming faculty 12 months.
Regardless that enrollment on the district has been steadily declining previously few years, resulting in the closure and consolidation of a number of campuses, the 2025-26 price range was made with the belief that SAISD’s enrollment would possibly enhance by about 100 college students.
Newly-elected trustee Mike Villarreal stated he was involved the price range didn’t handle the “root” problem of declining enrollment or rising inflation.
“The first cause we’re in a structural deficit is due to our declining enrollment,” Villarreal stated. “Declining enrollment undercuts all of our aspirational targets.”
Superintendent Jaime Aquino defined that originally planning for extra college students than obligatory was simpler than being brief on area and academics after the primary day of faculty.
Some trustees additionally expressed concern that SAISD enrollment may undergo as different faculty districts — Northside ISD specifically — take extra aggressive steps to market open enrollment and college selection packages.
Final week, Northside ISD introduced its “Excellence With out Boundaries” program, permitting any scholar within the better San Antonio Space to use to enroll at any of the district’s faculties.
SAISD has its personal faculty selection program, however district officers count on to lose some college students to NISD, particularly college students who dwell close to the 2 districts’ shared boundaries.
“It’s incumbent upon us to determine the best way to play within the sandbox the place all people is just about preventing for a similar sources,” trustee Alicia Sebastian stated.
As for inflation, Carreon stated the price range accounts for rising prices on variable prices solely, like pay inflation, insurance coverage charges, vitality and constructing supplies. Spending in different areas like faculty provides and subject journeys have remained stagnant.
The district has already made steps to deal with price range woes throughout the 2024-25 cycle by chopping central workplace employees, lowering campus budgets and chopping operation prices, Aquino added.
Villarreal, a former state consultant, stated he hopes the board can reimagine the price range course of to prioritize “scholar outcomes” shifting ahead.
