LCISD proposes $1.1337 tax-rate notice, budget shortfall and modest lunch price increase

The Lamar CISD board voted May 20 to publish a proposed tax rate of $1.1337 and set June 17 as the public meeting to discuss and possibly adopt the 2025–26 budget and the proposed tax rate. Chief Financial Officer Miss Ludwig told the board that the published total rate would be 1.1337, split into a maintenance-and-operations (M&O) component of roughly $0.6537 and an interest-and-sinking (I&S) component of $0.48. Ludwig said the proposed total published rate is lower than the current year’s rate.

Miss Ludwig also said the district is estimating $507.8 million in general-fund revenues and $510.2 million in expenditures for 2025–26, leaving a projected shortfall of about $2.36 million. She described personnel and benefits as about 85% of the general-fund budget and said the board budget committee prioritized salary increases to improve retention and competitiveness. As presented, the proposed compensation changes include a starting teacher salary of $65,700, a $2,000 flat increase for teachers paid on the teacher-salary schedule and a 3% midpoint raise for other staff. Ludwig added the district will absorb health-plan premium increases and will not pass higher premiums through to employees.

On child nutrition, staff presented a proposed 10-cent per-meal increase for paid lunches across grade bands: current 2024–25 paid-lunch prices of $2.45 (elementary), $2.55 (middle) and $2.65 (high school) would rise by 10 cents under staff proposals. The district said the federal paid-lunch-equity calculation requires annual price reviews and that the proposed increase would add about $17.30 per student per school year if a student ate lunch every school day. The board was given information about the child nutrition fund as a self-sustaining operation with a $31.2 million budget estimate for 2025–26.

Board actions on the tax items were procedural: trustees moved, seconded and unanimously approved (voice vote) placing the June 17 meeting on the calendar, publishing the proposed 1.1337 tax rate in the statutorily required notice, and designating the Office of the Chief Financial Officer to compute the no-new-revenue and voter-approval tax rates.

Ending: Ludwig cautioned the board that certified property values will be received later in the summer and final levy calculations may be adjusted; she said if certified values change materially the board can amend the adopted budget before the fiscal-year transition in 2026.