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CYPRESS, Texas — Cy-Fair ISD officials plan to cut 618 positions ahead of the next school year due to a projected shortfall in the 2024-25 fiscal year budget.
Although about 4% of staff positions are being eliminated, Superintendent Doug Killian assured that displaced employees will have the chance to move into other vacant positions within the district. Priority will be given to filling open roles for teachers and paraprofessionals who support classrooms.
“All of our staff members are very important to us, and all the positions serve a crucial need in our school district,” Killian said at the May 6 board meeting. “But we have to make cuts because we’re $138 million short of a balanced budget, and we don’t have enough fund balance to make it through next year without taking action.”
Despite identifying $58 million in budget cuts, Chief Financial Officer Karen Smith stated that the district will still need to use reserves to cover a remaining $77.5 million gap.
Even though the district has started each of the past three years with a deficit budget, trustee Julie Hinaman noted that their fund balance remains healthy today due to sound financial management.
Officials attributed the shortfall to the depletion of pandemic-era federal stimulus funding by the end of June and the lack of increased public school funding from the 88th Texas Legislature, despite the district’s advocacy efforts.
After Killian assumed his role earlier this year, he sought cost-saving and revenue-generating ideas from the community through a survey. The budget reduction advisory committee then recommended $45.5 million in cuts in April. However, this fell short of the administration’s initial goal of $68 million, leading to additional recommendations from principals, including the elimination of 50 librarian positions. Instead of having 92 campus librarians, 42 district librarians will oversee multiple campuses in 2024-25.
“(Staff members) do a lot with a little, and we’re asking them to do a lot more with a lot less,” Killian said. “I understand that may mean we need to pitch in more at the central office, and we will do that going forward.”
In addition to staffing reductions, the board will consider approving bus route cuts to save $4.72 million in transportation services. If approved, this would include not serving elementary students within one mile of campus or middle and high school students within two miles, except on routes with hazardous traffic conditions, and eliminating late bus runs and service to alternative learning centers.
“We intend to provide the same money that staff are getting right now in those new positions,” Killian said. “We don’t want this to hurt anyone’s bottom line because we know that people live from paycheck to paycheck.”
Many speakers at recent board meetings blamed Gov. Greg Abbott for the shortfall, claiming he withheld adequate funding from public schools during the 88th Texas Legislature in pursuit of a school voucher program.
Despite the position reductions, the administration proposed a 2% raise for teachers, paraprofessionals, and hourly staff, and a 1% raise for the administration. To compete with neighboring districts such as Tomball and Katy ISD, CFISD will also increase the starting teacher salary from $62,000 to $63,000. These increases will cost $17 million, Smith said.
CFISD paraprofessional Ondrea Love expressed concerns about the proposed raises, noting that they barely cover the cost of inflation and rising insurance costs.
District officials cited several factors contributing to higher costs and reduced revenue over the past few years, including a 19% increase in general inflation without state funding increases, decreased student attendance, increased staffing to accommodate growth, salary increases and retention stipends, and additional costs for special education, bilingual education, and security. Federal stimulus funding, which totaled $291.3 million, is no longer available.
The Texas Legislature determines school funding, filling gaps after accounting for local property tax revenue. CFISD has offered a local optional homestead exemption since 1983, saving the average homeowner $757 in property taxes annually but costing the district $63 million in lost revenue, which the state does not compensate for. A recent law prohibits removing local optional homestead exemptions until 2028.
“While it’s in vogue to blame other people, we’re also partially responsible for the situation we’re in, too,” Killian said.
Killian suggested an efficiency audit to identify long-term solutions and expressed hope that eliminated positions could be recovered as additional revenue comes in. However, more cuts may be necessary for future flexibility.
District officials and local legislators are advocating for up to 50% of the lost homestead exemption funding from the Texas Education Agency’s surplus by August and for a bill to remove the homestead exemption penalty next legislative session.
Trustee Justin Ray emphasized that the board will not point fingers or attack anyone, acknowledging that everyone played a role in the current situation. The district may also consider a voter-approved tax rate election in November to generate $109 million in additional taxpayer dollars if approved.
“It’s not something that people want to do; it’s not attractive to a school board to ask for more from local taxpayers, so we are tightening our belt,” Killian said.
The board is expected to officially adopt the budget at the June 17 meeting.