The Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees received May financial statements and construction reports during a July 21 work-study meeting, and staff presented budget amendments related to recent bond activity and an enterprise content management project. Jamie Hines, Assistant Superintendent of Finances, and Esperanza Rios, Director of Budget and Treasury, explained the district's position ahead of action at the board's regular meeting next week.

Hines said the monthly report covers activity through 05/31/2025 and noted the district is through nine months — about 75% — of the fiscal year. “Payroll costs are our biggest expenditure. We're at 73%,” Hines said, pointing out payroll remains slightly under year-to-date budgeted levels. He told trustees that purchased services, supplies and other operating expenses are also tracking below last year’s levels, and that debt payments are recorded at about 80% because the district makes a large principal payment in February with interest posted later.

Rios presented proposed budget amendments the administration will ask the board to approve at its next meeting. For capital projects, she said the district proposes a $1,745,791 amendment to fund an electronic content management system. “The system will be covered…with that 2021 bond proposition,” Rios said. Rios also reported a net reduction to the debt service fund fund balance tied to bond refunding and a recent bond sale; she described increases in revenues and expenditures associated with those transactions but did not give a consolidated net dollar figure during the presentation.

Hines also briefed the board on bond-authorized project spending: he said the 2023 bond authorization currently shows roughly $17 million in unspent authorizations and that the district expects that figure to decline as elementary and junior-high projects proceed. He described scenarios in which project contingencies or savings might be reallocated to start additional projects or reduce a future bond ask.

Board members asked questions about the $17 million underspending on the 2023 authorization, the timing of large construction bids and how the ECM project will be tracked under the 2021 authorization once the board approves the budget amendment. No formal votes were taken at the work study meeting; the administration told trustees they would present the financial reports and the listed budget amendments for board action at the regular meeting next week.

The board packet and staff presentations provided figures and a summary of the May check registers. Trustees were invited to seek further details from finance staff before the upcoming approval votes.

Less-critical details: Hines said the construction report reflects multiple active projects and cautioned that the $17 million underspending will move up and down as bids and expenditures occur. Rios said the debt-service adjustments reflect both the refunding done in December and bond sales completed in June.