Northwest ISD leaders outline $16 million gap, pursue staff reallocations as students and parents plead to save AVID

Northwest Independent School District officials told the board on Thursday evening they are working through staffing reallocations and program changes to close an estimated $16 million budget gap while students and parents pleaded with trustees to preserve the AVID program at Northwest High School.

The district presented a multi-part plan that relies primarily on personnel changes — what staff described as the ‘‘big rocks’’ of the budget — along with $3 million in non-payroll cuts. Superintendent Dr. Faust and district administrators said they are using attrition, an early resignation incentive and program-model changes to reassign staff and reduce expenditures.

The discussion matters because roughly 81% of the district budget is payroll; administrators said that leaves limited non-payroll savings. ‘‘We are turning up every stone, looking for every penny, every dollar that we can,’’ said Board member Jonathan Schluter during the discussion. Staff warned that the final plan depends on spring revenue projections, state legislative action and local property-value certifications.

Administrators described the process and timeline. District staff updated DK regulation language governing assignments and staffing for new or under-enrolled campuses and said they will seek to reassign affected employees within the district where possible. Human resources staff set a March 12 deadline for an early-resignation incentive and said they aim to have…