CFISD outlines 2025-26 budget plan, HB2 funding effects and reinstatement of bus service; public speakers press for restored routes and higher para pay

CYPRESS-FAIRBANKS ISD — Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District staff on Wednesday detailed a proposed 2025'26 budget shaped by House Bill 2 state funding changes and local priorities, including teacher compensation increases and reinstating student bus routes. Public commenters told the board to reinstate all removed bus routes and to raise pay for paraprofessionals.

The proposal and legislative context Karen Smith, presenting the proposed general operating budget, said the district's estimated statewide gain from HB2 is roughly $62.6 million but that much of that funding is restricted or "flow-through" and not fully flexible. "The estimated deficit at 06/30/2025 is approximately $24,300,000," Smith said. She and other staff estimated the amount of flexible funding available to address the 2025'26 deficit at about $23.5 million.

Board and administration priorities identified in the presentation include: - Increasing starting teacher pay to $65,000. - Using the teacher retention allotment to provide $5,000 per teacher with 5+ years and $2,500 for teachers with 3'4 years of experience (as modeled by the district). - A proposed 4% increase to the greater of midpoint or base for non-classroom employees (estimated cost $14 million). - Raising the minimum hourly starting pay to $15 and reinstating transportation at an estimated $4.1 million. - Targeted stipend increases to address hard-to-fill special education roles and market adjustments (a $3 million market-adjustment pool).

Public safety and staffing Board members and administration emphasized that payroll constitutes roughly 89 percent of general fund spending and that staff retention, safety and transportation were high priorities. Chief Mendez, addressing the board during discussion of staffing priorities, warned that school policing and law-enforcement markets were highly competitive and said the district had to be competitive on pay to avoid becoming a "training ground" for outside agencies.

Public comments and employee statements Several members of the public addressed the board during the budget public hearing: - Jeremy Eugene, an English special education and reading teacher at Cypress Park High School, read a statement on behalf of a life-skills paraprofessional and said, "We are not asking for more than what is fair. We're asking to be paid a living wage for the essential and demanding work we do every single day." Eugene described physical and emotional demands of para work and asked the board to value paraprofessionals in compensation decisions. - Jared Hostetler urged restoration of full bus service after the removal of 79 routes last year. "I strongly urge the board to make student safety the top priority budget item and restore full bus service for all students next year," Hostetler said. - Cheryl Liao said at least 18 children have been struck by cars since route cuts last year and called bus service a "lifeline". - Para staff members Rosa Soler and Stacy Peterson spoke during public comment, describing low annual pay (Soler said her paycheck was about $21,000 a year) and the physical demands of para work. Peterson said paraprofessionals sometimes must take second jobs to make ends meet.

Budget numbers, constraints and next steps Smith and Dr. Killian (district administration) reminded trustees that some HB2 allotments are restricted to specific uses (for example, the teacher retention allotment must go to classroom teachers as defined in law) and that certain components of the state changes would not take effect until later biennia. Dr. Killian stressed the limited additional revenue in the second year of the biennium: "There is no additional revenue coming in the second year of the biennium other than special ed money. That's it," he said.

Smith estimated the district would end 06/30/2025 with an approximate $24.3 million shortfall if no other adjustments occur. The proposed budget is intended to preserve at least four months of operating fund balance in the near term while applying select increases to compensation, transportation and other priorities.

Direct quotes "The estimated deficit at 06/30/2025 is approximately $24,300,000," Karen Smith said. "We are not asking for more than what is fair. We're asking to be paid a living wage for the essential and demanding work we do every single day," said Jeremy Eugene, reading a statement from a life-skills paraprofessional. "I strongly urge the board to make student safety the top priority budget item and restore full bus service for all students next year," said Jared Hostetler. "There is no additional revenue coming in the second year of the biennium other than special ed money. That's it," Dr. Killian said.

Board action and timeline Board members debated allocations and requested follow-up modeling and more detailed breakdowns in some areas (for example, market-adjustment targets and the effect of HB2 on specific staff classifications). No formal adoption vote was recorded in the transcript of the Wednesday work session; the budget adoption is scheduled for the regular board meeting on Monday, June 23. The board moved into closed session at the end of the work session; the motion to recess for closed session was moved and seconded and carried as procedurally stated on the record.

Ending District staff and trustees said they would continue work with the finance team and present a final budget for adoption at the board's June 23 meeting. In the meantime, public speakers urged the board to prioritize student safety, bus restoration and higher pay for paraprofessionals and other hard-to-fill positions.