Spring Branch ISD Board of Trustees approves resolutions to address $35 million budget shortfall
HOUSTON - The Spring Branch ISD Board of Trustees has approved a series of resolutions to address the district's $35 million budget shortfall for the 2024-2025 school year.
According to a release, the resolutions include changing the staffing ratios for high schools, aligning high school schedules, increasing Pre-K tuition, adjusting Pre-K Center boundaries, and pausing the bond program for the four remaining 2017 Bond Program elementary school rebuilds. The total impact of the approved budget considerations is $2.9 million.
Trustees postponed their vote until November 27 on resolutions to close Panda Path School for Early Learning and Treasure Forest Elementary School beginning with the 2024-25 school year.
"The magnitude of what we are addressing is significant. $35 million doesn’t just come in programs; it comes in salaries. Every single part of our school district is going to be impacted by the time this is all said and done," said Superintendent of Schools Jennifer Blane during her opening comments to the school board.
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Blaine also addressed concerns by some that the district is bringing forth budget considerations in phases, rather than presenting the entire plan now.
"While district administration has developed a plan to fully address the shortfall, there are portions of our plan we cannot publicly address. What I can tell you is that the district will be reducing personnel numbers that are very similar to that of the budget cuts in 2011 that were so horrific for our system. The majority of those decisions will come from central office."
During a special meeting on Monday, Blaine and Board President Chris Earnest shared their disappointment in the lack of action taken by state legislators.
"We all hoped for and even anticipated that adequate funding for Texas public schools would be proposed and passed in the 88th Legislative session (and subsequent called sessions). Not only is this funding required by our state constitution, but it is also needed to address the 19% inflation impacting our collective bottom lines since 2019," Blaine and Earnest noted. "In short, the state has kept our revenues flat for four years while our costs have skyrocketed. All while the state has had a record budget surplus of more than $33 billion."