Tomball ISD presents balanced 2025–26 budget after state funding changes; board to consider rate in September

TOMBALL ISD — Tomball ISD officials on June 17 presented a balanced fiscal 2025–26 general fund budget they said reflects changes from the recent legislative session and a package of state allotments that together raise the district’s state revenue by about $11.8 million.

Chief Financial Officer Zach Bowles told the board the state’s House Bill 2 and related legislation shift some funding to districts and create targeted “retention” allotments for teachers and support staff that the district must pass through to employees. “We are presenting a balanced budget,” Bowles said during the workshop hearing.

Bowles told the board the largest single pieces of new funding for Tomball are the teacher retention allotment (about $6.0–$6.3 million estimated), a support‑staff retention allotment (about $880,000), a new enrollment‑based “basic cost” allotment (about $2.4 million), and an increase in the school safety allotment (about $630,000). He said the state’s changes also include expanded homestead exemptions (Senate Bill 4 and related bills) that will affect local tax bases and require the district to adopt a tax rate in September under the assumption the voter‑approved change will pass in November.

Why it matters: district staff said most of the $11.8 million is already earmarked by state rules or by the district’s implementation plan. The teacher allotment must be passed to qualifying classroom teachers (defined in the law as those spending four or more hours in instructional settings), and the support‑staff allotment must be spent entirely on salary increases…