Bastrop ISD adopts 2025–26 budget and compensation plan; approves bond sale and other measures

The Bastrop Independent School District Board of Trustees on June 17 approved the district's 2025'26 general, debt-service and food-service budgets and a yearly compensation plan, authorized the sale of the remaining bonds from the 2023 program, approved an application for the district's Optional Flexible School Day Program and took several other formal actions.

The budget adoption and compensation plan together formalize pay changes the district and state enacted this spring. The board adopted a balanced general-fund budget for 2025'26 and a compensation plan that incorporates the state's teacher pay increases and district-funded adjustments for other employees.

Chief Financial Officer Mike White told trustees that the district will reflect state-funded teacher pay increases (state guidance tied the payments to employees reported in a teaching capacity at 0.5 FTE on the fall PEIMS submission) and will add district-funded increases for support staff and administrators. White said the district raised its starting teacher salary from $56,000 to $57,750 and increased some support-staff pay (he described a 5% increase for some categories and a 3.5% market adjustment for others); administrators received a 3% midpoint adjustment. Board members voted to adopt the budget and then approved the compensation plan by voice vote.

The board also adopted a parameters order authorizing district staff to sell the last $89.4 million of voter-approved 2023 unlimited tax school building bonds. Financial adviser Josh McLaughlin of BOK Financial Securities explained the sale plan and said the district can sell the remaining series while staying within the district's interest-and-sinking (I&S) tax-rate target (currently $0.401). McLaughlin said the district expects to use roughly $3.6 million of I&S fund balance in 2025'26, to sell the bonds on an approximately 28-year repayment schedule and to seek additional state hold-harmless assistance tied to recent legislation. He estimated about $6.97 million in state assistance over the life of the bonds if the district completes the series by the TEA deadlines; the board voted to adopt the order.

Trustees approved a public-hearing item to submit an application to the Texas Education Agency for an Optional Flexible School Day Program (OFSDP) for Genesis High School, the district's alternative high school. District director Reyna Ellis said Genesis enrolled 319 students this year, graduated 242 students, recorded 1,902 earned credits and that the campus saw an enrollment increase of 29 students and 24 more graduates compared with the prior reporting period. The board approved the application by motion and voice vote.

Other formal actions taken included a one- or two-year extension of the district's depository contract with First National Bank of Bastrop (the board approved the extension; the meeting record notes three trustees abstained but does not list names), and the board's acceptance of Superintendent Barry Edwards' letter of retirement and authorization for the board president to execute related employment paperwork. Each motion passed as recorded in the meeting minutes.

Votes at a glance

- Optional Flexible School Day Program (Genesis High School): motion to submit OFSDP application ' approved by voice vote (motion/second not specified in the record). - 2025'26 budget (general, debt service, food service): motion to approve and adopt budget ' approved by voice vote. - 2025'26 compensation plan: motion to approve compensation plan ' approved by voice vote. - Order authorizing issuance of unlimited-tax school building bonds (remaining 2023 authorization, up to $89,399,000): motion to adopt order ' approved by voice vote. - Extension of depository contract with First National Bank of Bastrop: motion to approve extension ' approved; meeting record notes three abstentions. - Acceptance of Superintendent Barry Edwards' retirement letter and authorization for board president to execute the superintendent employment contract: motion to accept ' approved by voice vote.

Why this matters

The budget and compensation decisions set district spending priorities, including pay increases intended to align with new state funding; the bond authorization funds capital projects approved by voters in 2023; and approval of the Genesis OFSDP application preserves an alternative pathway the district uses for students at risk of dropping out. The depository extension and personnel action are routine governance items that affect district operations.

What happened next / timeline

Trustees adopted the budget before the June 30 legal deadline; certified property values will be released later in July and TEA will publish related rates in early August. The administration said it will return to the board with final child-nutrition budget details and any required budget amendments after staff onboarding is complete.