Bastrop ISD adopts 2025–26 budget, approves compensation plan and moves child nutrition operations in‑house

At a June 17 meeting the Bastrop Independent School District Board of Trustees adopted the 2025–26 budget for the general fund, debt service and food service and approved the district’s 2025–26 compensation plan.

Mike White, the district chief financial officer, presented the final budget and compensation recommendations after several months of work and a June legislative session that increased state funding for teacher pay and other priorities. White said state actions included a teacher pay allotment that provides $2,500 for teachers with 3–4 years’ experience and $5,000 for teachers with 5+ years; the state’s guidance defined eligible “teachers” as staff serving at least 0.5 FTE in a teaching capacity (PEIMS role code 87). White described the district plan to absorb the state allotments while also increasing local pay for support staff and other employees.

Key budget and compensation items as presented by White include: - A balanced General Fund budget for 2025–26 using projected state and local revenues and strategic use of reserves for debt-service smoothing. White said BISD reserves total about $25 million. - Targeted pay increases: support staff increases of 5% in certain groups; a 3.5% increase for some mid‑career teacher cohorts not covered by state funding; an increase in starting teacher pay from $56,000 to $57,750; a 3% midpoint increase for administrators; teaching assistant increases of 5%. White characterized teacher experience-based raises as ranging roughly 4.4% to 8.8% depending on experience and district policy. - Revised campus discretionary allocations to standardize per‑student campus funding and address equity across elementary and secondary campuses; district officials said no campus would lose funding under the new model. - Capital and operational priorities including opening Adelton Elementary in August, converting intermediate schools to middle schools, continued support for special education and MTSS, and using reserves to prepay or smooth debt-service payments.

White also briefed the board on child nutrition: BISD will transition food services in‑house on July 1. The district has hired Rachel Talapore as child nutrition director; White said the district will onboard existing food service employees, post positions for kitchen managers, cooks, dietitians and implement district-controlled point-of-sale and menu systems. White said initial child nutrition budget figures are estimates and that staff will revise the food-service budget and bring a budget amendment if necessary once actual staffing and compensation are finalized.

On health benefits, White told trustees that TRS ActiveCare premiums increased about 8.75% (state subsidy reduced the impact for employees) and estimated employee premium impacts at roughly $20 per paycheck for employee-only coverage.

Trustees raised operational questions about how paraprofessionals could move into teacher pathways and how the TEA guidance would apply to staff reported under the 0.5 FTE teacher definition; White and other administrators said additional TEA FAQs are expected and staff will report back as guidance is clarified.

A trustee moved to adopt the 2025–26 budget as presented and the motion was seconded; the board approved the budget by voice vote. Later in the meeting the board voted to approve the 2025–26 compensation plan by voice vote.

Ending: District staff said they will finalize child nutrition staffing and budget details in July and return with any recommended budget amendments prior to the start of the 2025–26 school year.