NEISD budget study: staffing cuts, health plan outlook and HB 2 funding changes under review

The Northeast Independent School District reviewed staffing reductions, the district's self-funded health plan and implications of the recently passed school funding legislation (House Bill 2) at a budget study session, district finance staff told trustees.

Susie Lackhorn, the district's Executive Director of Finance and Accounting, led the presentation and said the district has identified central-office and campus staffing changes that reduce costs and that the board should await additional analysis on HB 2 before finalizing a compensation plan.

Lackhorn described multi-year staffing reductions and savings: central-office changes included a set of position eliminations and reorganizations that yielded roughly $462,000 in the current update (she said five positions were identified in that change) and earlier reductions that amounted to about $1.6 million for 2025–26. Over several years, she said, the district realized roughly $4 million in general-fund savings and about $5.8 million across all funds from staffing changes. For campus staffing, staff presented a projected reduction of 110 teacher positions that would save about $7.9 million; reductions also include 14 non-teaching…