McCombs School District presents draft FY25–26 budget, highlights personnel costs and fund balances

McCombs School District officials held a public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget during the board meeting, presenting revenue sources, multi-year fund balances and estimates for the coming year.

The budget presentation said state sources accounted for roughly half of the district's revenues for the 2024 fiscal reporting period and that the district carried a remaining FY24 balance of $885,000. The presenter said multi-year general-fund balances increased from about $6.7 million at 12/31/2022 to about $7.3 million at the end of 2024. For the upcoming year, the presenter estimated salaries and benefits at about $22,500,000, noting those costs represent about 80% of the district’s budget.

Why it matters: Salaries and benefits are the largest single cost for the district; board members pressed staff for detail on what the maintenance fund covers and how departments allocate funds within the approved budget.

During discussion, board members asked how maintenance and capital needs are prioritized inside the budget and whether line items shown in the May materials reflected the most recent changes. A presenter responded that departments receive allocations and then prioritize expenditures internally, and that items over $5,000 typically come to the board for approval.

Board members also asked whether the required legal advertising and public-notice steps for the budget had been completed; staff confirmed the budget had been advertised and that the district would return for final approval after any requested modifications.

The record includes a statutory citation referenced during the hearing: "code specific code section 37 61 9" (as stated in the meeting). The board did not adopt the final budget during the segment captured in the transcript; staff described the next steps as modifying requested items and bringing a final budget for approval.