Belton ISD outlines three-phase plan to cut $8–9 million from operating budget

Dr. Golden, superintendent of Belton Independent School District, told trustees at a Jan. 27 workshop that the district faces a projected operating shortfall and presented a three‑phase plan to reduce about $8 million to $9 million in expenditures for the 2025–26 budget.

The superintendent framed the plan around declines in average daily attendance funding, rising special education and insurance costs, and other pressures. “We knew we had adopted a $5,000,000 deficit budget,” Dr. Golden said, noting the district later adopted an $8,100,000 deficit and has worked to reduce expenditures. The presentation emphasized the district’s board policy to maintain a 21–25% fund balance and warned that, without reductions or additional state funding, projected fund balance would fall below that floor.

Why it matters: Belton ISD’s operating cash is used to meet payroll and daily operations; the district’s presenters said falling average daily attendance (ADA), rising health and liability insurance, higher transportation costs and a drop in federal Medicaid reimbursements together have eroded reserves. The presentation estimated that a 1 percentage‑point change in ADA represents roughly $1 million in revenue for the district.

Key drivers and recent actions - Enrollment and attendance: The district reported volatile enrollment since the pandemic; presenters said ADA did not meet prior projections and that ADA was kept flat in the district’s 2025–26 baseline projection (projected ADA cited at 12,788 in staff materials). District staff warned large swings in ADA affect state funding. - Special education and staffing: Staff reported a sustained increase in the share of students receiving special education services and said the district added roughly $2 million in…