Bridge City Independent School District trustees unanimously approved the 2025–26 budget and adopted a lower property tax rate of 0.9490 during their Aug. 20 meeting at the district administration building in Bridge City. The adopted tax rate breaks down to 0.6688 for maintenance and operations and 0.2802 for interest and sinking.

The action matters because the adopted budget commits the district to $46,123,073 in expenditures while projecting $43,283,071 in revenue — a budgeted shortfall of $2,840,002 that the board approved as presented. Chief Financial Officer Tim Woolley presented the revenue and expenditure detail before the vote.

Most significant line items include projected revenues of $25,022,582 in state program revenue and $17,107,240 from local and intermediate sources, with federal revenue of $1,153,249. Key expenditure categories in the adopted budget include $18,959,544 for instruction, $6,735,261 for debt service and $5,443,057 for plant maintenance and operations. The budget document listed $4,199,896 for facilities acquisition and construction.

The board also agreed to personnel compensation changes presented in the budget summary: a proposed starting teacher salary of $48,750, a 7% midpoint increase for auxiliary, clerical and paraprofessional positions, and a 5% midpoint increase for administrative salaries. The summary also listed additional instructional coaching support at Bridge City High School, new teaching and paraprofessional positions, and an increase in property/flood insurance. The budget notes cited state allotments — including Teacher Retention Allotment, Support Staff Retention Allotment, Basic Costs Allotment and an increase in the School Safety Allotment — as sources of additional revenue.

During the meeting the board also approved a set of related resolutions and motions: a resolution for “Disaster Pennies,” a motion expressing intent to redeem or defease certain district obligations, and the formal adoption of the tax rate decrease. Each motion was recorded as carried unanimously.

Discussion and presentation were led by CFO Tim Woolley and Superintendent Dr. Mike Kelly; formal motions were made and seconded by trustees and recorded in the meeting minutes. The budget approval and tax-rate actions were formal votes; the budget presentation and staff compensation details were presented for board consideration prior to the votes.

The board will move forward with the adopted budget and tax rate for the 2025–26 fiscal year; the district did not identify in the public minutes at the Aug. 20 meeting the specific measures it will use to close the $2.84 million gap.

Less-critical items discussed during the same meeting included capital project updates and informational reports from the district foundation.