Stafford joint body adopts balanced 2025–26 SMSD budget, keeps tax rate and OKs bond defeasance plan

Stafford Municipal School District trustees and the Stafford City Council on Aug. 25 approved a balanced 2025–26 school budget, adopted the same property tax rate as the previous year and authorized a plan to defease (prepay) portions of the district's outstanding debt using excess debt-service fund balances.

The actions were taken during a joint meeting attended by school trustees, city council members, the superintendent and the district's finance team. The School Board and City Council voted unanimously on the major items: the school budget and related tax-rate ordinances passed on roll-call votes, and the board approved the district's plan to defease bonds the body described as a routine debt-management step.

Superintendent Robert Bostick, presenting the budget to the joint body, said the district is proposing a balanced general fund where revenues and expenditures match and stressed compensation increases included in the plan. "Balanced budget. This year, we have a balanced budget," Bostick said. He and board members emphasized that new state legislation provided additional funding this year for teacher raises and other compensation steps included in the budget.

Why it matters: The budget keeps classroom programs intact while preserving ongoing safety and nutrition services and uses one-time debt-service fund balance to reduce future interest costs through defeasance. Trustees and council members repeatedly described aging campus infrastructure ' including HVAC, roofing and buses ' as unresolved capital needs that likely will require a future bond election.

Most important facts - The board adopted a general…