Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget And Legislation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
La Porte ISD finance update: enrollment, ADA and budget timeline; superintendent summarizes pending state education bills
Summary
La Porte ISD finance staff told trustees March 11 the district has 7,096 students and an average-daily-attendance figure that translates to about 6,457 ADA for budget calculations; trustees were given a timeline for FY2026 budget development and a legislative update from Superintendent Dr. Jackson.
La Porte ISD finance staff reviewed midyear fiscal metrics and the schedule for building the fiscal year 2026 budget at the March 11 meeting, while Superintendent Dr. Jackson summarized legislative proposals under consideration at the Texas Capitol.
Chief finance staff reported that the district’s enrollment is 7,096 students; using current attendance averages over the reporting period, the district’s average daily attendance (ADA) was presented as about 6,457. District staff said La Porte currently receives approximately $10,402 per student from TEA when state allotments and local tax revenue are combined, and that average daily attendance influences local revenue. The adopted 2024–25 budget figures the board approved in June projected $107 million in revenue and about $120 million in expenses, yielding an anticipated use of fund balance; the district estimated a recapture payment of roughly $26.5 million. Staff said final, more precise monthly numbers will be available after the next reporting cycle.
Superintendent Dr. Jackson provided a legislative overview of bills the district is monitoring. He described House Bill 2 as a proposal to increase the basic allotment from $6,160 to $6,380 per student — an increase of $220 per student — and said the bill includes a requirement that 40% of any increased allotment be used for teacher compensation if the bill passes. He also summarized House and Senate proposals on education savings accounts/vouchers (various per-student dollar amounts discussed), increases to homestead exemptions, limits on disaster pennies, consolidation of Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATER) or VADER timing to November only, and a teacher retention allotment in Senate proposals that could provide targeted raises for teachers with defined years of experience.
The finance director walked the board through the budget development timeline: an April 8 board meeting, a tentative April 22 compensation workshop, receipt of certified property values on April 30, a tentative May 6 budget workshop, and a June 10 meeting to present a final FY2026 budget and compensation plan. Staff noted legislative action (the regular session end date) could affect revenue assumptions; June 2 is the scheduled end of the session.
No board action was required on the legislative items; the presentation was informational and will shape budget scenarios as certified property values and final state action become known.
