Conroe Independent School District staff presented the district's proposed 2025'26 budget and tax rate at a required public hearing during the board's Aug. 5 special meeting, showing a balanced budget and proposing no change to the current tax rate of 0.9496.

The presentation, given at the public hearing required by the Texas Education Code and Texas Tax Code, outlined revenue and expenditure estimates and the uncertainties stemming from the 2025 legislative session. The presenter said House Bill 2 created new allotments and expanded funding that the district estimates will generate roughly $41 million for Conroe ISD. The district also reported certified property values of about $56.5 billion, a 1.87% increase that would yield roughly $6.7 million in local revenue.

Key figures presented for 2025'26:
- Projected enrollment: 73,500 students; projected average daily attendance (ADA) at 93% (ADA 68,355).
- Certified property value: $56,500,000,000 (1.87% growth).
- Proposed tax rate: unchanged at 0.9496 (maintenance & operations 0.6696; debt service 0.28).
- Estimated state/local revenue increase: $60,980,000 (including the House Bill 2 estimate of $41,000,000).
- Estimated expenditure increase: $49,080,000.
- Beginning revenue: $700,070,000; estimated total revenue: $761,050,000.
- Beginning expenditures: $711,970,000; estimated total expenditures: $761,050,000 (presented as balanced).

Staff outlined the district's approved compensation plan that was previously adopted at the July board meeting: starting teacher pay listed as $63,500 and an average teacher increase of approximately 6%; teachers with five or more years of experience averaged about an 8.2% increase. The presentation listed a total cost for the teacher salary adjustments of about $21,490,000 and a total compensation cost increase of about $33,100,000. Other proposed salary adjustments included raises for administrative support, instructional support and auxiliary staff (midpoint +6%), police and technology (+4%) and administrative business/education staff (+3.5%).

Personnel additions proposed for 2025'26 totaled 142.75 full-time equivalents (FTEs), including 95 special-education positions. The presenter stated the total cost for these personnel additions was approximately $8,000,000, with about $5,000,000 specifically tied to the special-education increase.

Staff said other notable budget items include a reduction in projected interest earnings ($1.5 million), TRS on-behalf recording of $4 million, a modest increase in substitute pay, and adjustments for summer school and software costs. The district plans to present the final budget and ask for formal adoption at the Aug. 19 regular board meeting.

The public hearing was opened and closed the same evening; no members of the public spoke during the hearing portion. The board received no formal amendments at this meeting. Adoption of the budget and tax rate is scheduled for the Aug. 19 meeting, where the board will vote on the general fund, child nutrition fund and debt service fund budgets.

Statements in the presentation referenced House Bill 2 and two pending constitutional homestead-exemption measures (Senate Bill 4 and Senate Bill 23) that, if approved by voters, would change homeowner exemptions statewide; the presenter said the district will be held harmless for local revenue changes stemming from those exemptions.