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Resident urges Belton ISD to pause nonresident transfers amid $8M deficit, warns of class-size impacts
Summary
A resident, Riley Beck, said the district's reported $8 million deficit should prompt the board to stop accepting out-of-district transfers and reconsider planned class-size increases for secondary schools.
During the public-comment portion of the Belton ISD board meeting, resident Riley Beck urged trustees to halt accepting nonresident transfer students while the district addresses an $8 million budget shortfall.
"There's an 8 plus million dollar deficit," Beck told the board. He said the district should prioritize students, teachers and taxpayers within the district and questioned the rationale for accepting students from outside the district while proposing larger class sizes for middle and high schools. Beck said larger classes increase teacher workload and reduce time for grading and parent communication, and he expressed concern that out-of-district students do not contribute to bond tax revenue paid by Belton residents.
The board read district policy BED(local) and reminded speakers that the board may not respond to non-agenda items during public comment in order to comply with the Texas Open Meetings Act. Trustees did not take action in response to the comments during the meeting; budget and transfer policies remain subject to later agenda items and administrative review.
