Burleson ISD board adopts 2025–26 budget, approves personnel authority and related financial measures

The Burleson Independent School District Board of Trustees on June 23 approved the district's 2025'26 general, debt service and food service budgets, authorized the board president to approve new hires between now and the next regular meeting, and adopted a resolution to move excess fund balance into the capital projects fund.

Brenda Mize presented the district's monthly financials and the proposed 2025'26 budget. She reported year-to-date general-fund revenues of about $97.7 million for April and projected 2025'26 total revenues of roughly $130.8 million under current assumptions. The district reported a projected fund balance of $37.5 million (about 27.4% of the predicted budget), above the 25% requirement; the board approved a resolution to keep a $37.5 million fund balance and move the estimated excess (about $1.4 million) to the capital projects fund for facility and technology needs.

Mize said proposed personnel costs and payroll increases accounted for most of the change in next year's budget; payroll was projected near $107.7 million and total projected expenses for 2025'26 were roughly $129.4 million under the numbers she presented. She also summarized year-to-date figures for food service, special revenue and capital funds, and noted a recent bond defeasement that produced interest savings.

Superintendent-level and finance discussion emphasized how recently enacted state legislation (referred to throughout the meeting as House Bill 2) alters district revenue streams and mandates certain compensation allotments. Board discussion and staff presentations identified these House Bill 2 provisions as among the most significant for the budget: - A teacher retention allotment that, as described in the meeting, provides one-time payments of $2,500 for teachers with three to four years of experience and $5,000 for teachers with five or more years of experience; the district expects roughly $3.6 million in state funding tied to that allotment (amount subject to final certifications and personnel counts). - A new ABC allotment of $106 per enrolled student to help cover basic costs such as transportation, utilities, insurance, TRS contributions and other benefits. - Increased allocations for school safety (the per-ADA amount moved from $10 to $20 in the session described), and a larger campus safety allotment, though staff said the state amounts still do not fully cover local security and SRO costs. - Changes in special-education funding methodology and a $1,000 payment referenced for initial individual evaluations.

Brenda Mize told the board the district will return in August and September with certified values and a recommended tax rate once the Texas Education Agency provides the official calculations and after any state constitutional changes are finalized and certified. Board members discussed the recently proposed or pending property-tax relief (the $140,000 homestead exemption referred to during the presentation) and noted that the final tax-rate calculations will be presented to the board later this summer.

The board also approved year-to-date budget amendments to reclassify certain capital-lease and subscription expenditures to comply with GASB guidance (GASB 87 and GASB 96), adjust food-service and debt-service postings, and cover timing differences such as TRS postings for July and August.

Votes at a glance (motions and outcomes recorded on the June 23 agenda): - Authorize board president to approve hires between now and the next regular meeting (motion passed; seconded by K. Stacy; recorded as unanimous voice vote). Note: the board said it will ratify hires at the next meeting. - Adopt the order of items for the June 23 agenda (motion passed; recorded as unanimous voice vote). - Approve the consent agenda as presented (motion passed; unanimous voice vote). - Adopt the 2025'26 budgets for the general fund, debt service fund and food service fund and authorize appropriate adjustments and superintendent-level compensation/position review (motion passed; unanimous voice vote). - Adopt a resolution to commit the fund balance and transfer estimated excess to capital projects (motion passed; moved by a trustee identified as Pat, second Dallas; unanimous voice vote). - Approve year-to-date budget amendments to reclassify functions and record the bond defeasement and related entries (motion passed; unanimous voice vote). - Approve a memorandum of understanding with Education Service Center Region 11 for Reading Academies (motion passed; unanimous voice vote). - Reorganize the board by retaining the existing slate of president, vice president and secretary for another year (motion passed; unanimous voice vote).

Clarifying details captured during the presentation included: the district's April general-fund balance and year-to-date figures, a projected $37.5 million fund balance (about 27.4% of budget) and an estimated $1.4 million identified as excess to be moved to capital projects pending final year-end numbers; projected teacher-retention allotment funding of roughly $3.6 million (subject to final personnel reports); and the district's preliminary estimate of combined revenues and expenses for 2025'26 showing payroll growth as the dominant cost driver.

What remained discussion-only: staff said they will return with more detail on how the state allotments must be reported and allocated across local budget lines, and that certification of property values and exact tax-rate calculations will be done in July after TEA certification and any state constitutional actions. Staff emphasized there will likely be additional budget amendments as state rules and allocations are clarified.

Speakers quoted in this article are from the meeting record and were limited to those who spoke on the budget and votes: "We have a lot of technology needs," Brenda Mize said when explaining the rationale for the proposed transfer to capital. On the state provisions, a district official said, "When they give us this money, they direct us into pots," summarizing the meeting's description of restricted state allotments.

Ending note: The board approved the budget and the related motions by unanimous vote. Staff will return with certified property values and final tax-rate recommendations, and the board will ratify any interim hires at its next regular meeting in July.