San Felipe-Del Rio CISD proposes balanced 2025–26 budget, keeps tax rate unchanged and approves bond defeasance resolution

San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District trustees on Monday approved a balanced 2025–26 budget package that keeps the maintenance and operations tax rate at 74.86 cents and authorizes a resolution that could allow the district to defease a portion of its Unlimited Tax Refunding Bonds, Series 2017.

The budget the board approved projects general fund revenues of $112,141,054 and matching expenditures for a net zero balance, a food‑service fund with $8,418,504 in revenues and $8,063,251 in expenditures, and a debt‑service fund budget of $5,163,108 in both revenues and expenditures. "For the 2025 preliminary values that we have received from the appraisal district, our freeze adjusted taxable values are $2,862,373,170," Amy Childress said during the public hearing.

Why it matters: the package funds a multi‑year pay plan and reinstates positions for curriculum and student supports that the district had reduced during earlier budget shortfalls, while preserving the current combined tax burden for property owners.

Key budget details and projections presented to the board include a 5.13% increase in freeze‑adjusted taxable value versus the 2024 certified roll, a projected average daily attendance of about 8,560 (approximately 90% of an enrollment forecast of 9,550), and a proposed M&O tax rate of 74.86¢ — unchanged from the 2024–25 rate. Childress said the preliminary values do not yet reflect a raised homestead exemption that will be included in certified values due by July 25.

On personnel costs, the administration presented a planned general pay increase with an estimated cost to the district of $5,180,945. The presentation lists a change in beginning teacher pay from $54,950 to $55,900 and tiered increases for teachers with one, two, three–four, and five-plus years of experience. Childress also said the budget includes an estimated increase in district health‑insurance contributions (Blue Cross Blue Shield) from $474.49 per employee per month through Dec. 31, 2025, to an estimated $519.57 beginning Jan. 1, 2026 (a 9.5% increase).

The proposed budget also contains a personnel cost increase of $618,918 tied to restored positions and reorganization: six music and art positions, three librarian positions, a deputy superintendent position, a dean of instruction at San Felipe Memorial Middle School, and two elementary counselors (partly funded by an OASIS grant), with some savings from a middle‑school redesign. Childress said the district expects savings from last year’s move from a self‑insured plan to Blue Cross Blue Shield to continue to produce roughly $360,401 in savings.

The board separately approved by motion a resolution "providing for the defeasance and calling for redemption [of] certain currently outstanding obligations, authorizing the execution of an escrow agreement, delegating to certain district officials and staff the authority to effectuate matters herein resolved," which the administration said would allow the district to consider an early payment (defeasance) of a portion of the Series 2017 refunding bonds to reduce interest costs. The administration recommended setting the debt‑service tax rate at 18.77¢, the same rate as 2024–25, which supports the debt‑service budget presented.

Trustee discussion noted that the state funding received since the last budget cycle made it possible to restore librarians, music and art staff and to present a balanced budget after the district faced a sizeable deficit in the prior year. One trustee asked for confirmation that staff moves to restored positions would follow a transition plan and that initial rounds of applicants would be internal, to prioritize displaced employees; a staff representative confirmed that a transition plan would be developed and that internal applicants would be considered first.

Formal actions: the board voted (motion, second) to approve the proposed general fund, food‑service and debt‑service budgets and to adopt the related resolution for defeasance authorization; motions carried unanimously as recorded by the board.

What’s next: board members and administration said one additional meeting remains in the budget process for final amendments and formal adoption steps; certified property values that reflect the new homestead exemption are due later in July and will be used for final calculations.