Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Northside ISD leaders outline $100M-plus budget gap as House Bill 2 evolves
Summary
At a called meeting, Northside ISD Superintendent Dr. Kraft told trustees the district faces a deficit north of $100 million as ESSER funds expire and state school‑finance bills remain unresolved; trustees discussed staffing, program consolidation at campuses and an April 22 open‑enrollment policy presentation.
Dr. Kraft, Northside ISD superintendent, told the Board of Trustees at a called meeting that the district is planning for the 2025–26 budget while tracking state school‑finance legislation and declining enrollment. "The answer is no," Dr. Kraft said when asked whether the legislative proposals under current runs would close a deficit the district now estimates at just north of $100 million. ESSER federal relief funds that the district used to subsidize operating costs expired Sept. 30, 2024, he said.
The board heard detailed staff analysis of how the committee substitute for House Bill 2 (CSHB 2) would change the district's revenue mix, special program allotments and required pay‑increase calculations. Staff warned the bill's current formula—if enacted as drafted—could shift more of a revenue increase into mandated teacher, counselor, librarian and nurse compensation (a 40% distribution under the committee substitute) while the net non‑special‑program revenue available to offset district costs would remain limited.
Why it matters: Northside officials said the combination of an expiring federal…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
