Judson ISD trustees briefed on enrollment dip, contingency planning and draft plan to keep disaster-relief pennies via voter approval

The Judson Board of Trustees heard a budget update Thursday night as district administrators outlined a conservative revenue forecast for 2025–26, warned that enrollment and average daily attendance (ADA) have dipped since November and recommended planning now for a possible voter-approved tax ratification election to preserve roughly $12 million in one-time revenue.

Administrators told trustees the district’s enrollment at the end of the third six‑week period was 23,448 students and cumulative ADA for that period was 21,038. “We typically see a dip during the Christmas holidays and then increased enrollment after Martin Luther King holiday,” said Doctor Gosch, a staff member. District finance staff reported a baseline ADA projection for 2025–26 of about 20,052 and said using conservative figures is intended to avoid overstating revenue.

Why it matters: Judson is budgeting on ADA for state funding but staffs classrooms and pays salaries based on projected enrollment. A 1,000‑student ADA reduction the administration flagged could translate into roughly $6 million–$10 million less state revenue under current funding multipliers, according to district finance staff, a gap that would increase budget pressure if one‑time revenue sources are not available.

Administrators described three revenue items that narrowed a projected $40 million deficit to a current estimate near $25 million: federal…