Corsicana Independent School District officials presented a 2025–26 budget projection Aug. 25 showing $65,410,926 in expected revenue and a projected deficit of $2,304,510.

The budget presentation to the board of trustees laid out revenue increases tied to state funding of mandated salary raises and noted that the district’s enrollment at the start of the year was about 5,940 students — roughly matching demographers’ estimates and an average daily attendance roll-forward of about 5,340 from last year (about 92.5 percent). The presentation said recent personnel raises account for most of the year-over-year increase in payroll expense, totaling about $7 million for raises across functions categorized as instruction and other payroll areas.

District staff described how spending is organized by functional groups. Instruction (Function 11) remains the largest expenditure category and reflects much of the mandated pay raises for teachers and paraprofessionals. Staff said some apparent increases in other functions reflect internal reclassifications rather than new funding — for example, librarians were shifted between functions, and Title I staffing changes were reflected as an internal swap of positions between federal and local fund lines.

Transportation (Function 34) was adjusted to include bus purchase funds previously budgeted in Function 71, and the budgeter said the district kept a line available to buy buses if needed after November. Counseling and student placement services (Function 31) were described as largely reimbursable and expected to net out over the year.

Board members and staff attributed the reduction in the projected deficit — from a previously higher estimate near $3.7–$4.0 million down to about $2.3 million — to attrition, non-payroll cuts, leaner departmental budgets, and closer coordination to maximize available federal program funding.

The presentation included an explanation of average daily attendance practice and ongoing canvassing to identify students who have not yet appeared on rosters; staff said that canvassing efforts had added roughly 10 students since Friday’s snapshot and that enrollment may continue to change during the opening weeks of school.

The budget presentation did not record a formal final vote adopting the 2025–26 budget at the time portions of the transcript end. Board members asked questions and a trustee moved to approve the child nutrition debt item related to the budget, but the transcript does not show a completed roll-call on the full budget adoption.

District staff noted the budget will be affected by other items discussed at the meeting, including the tax-rate resolution and a proposed 2025 refunding bond that the board reviewed separately.