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Liberty Hill ISD projects $7.5 million shortfall; trustees briefed on state legislation and savings options
Summary
Superintendent outlined a projected $7.5 million deficit for next year, steps to reduce expenditures, and legislative risks including potential voucher expansion and property tax compression.
Superintendent Snell told the Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees on Dec. 16 that current estimates show the district will realize a roughly $7.5 million deficit for the coming fiscal year and outlined a plan to cut expenditures and pursue other revenue options while monitoring state legislative action.
"We are gonna realize that 7 and a half million dollar deficit," Snell said during a wide-ranging budget and legislative update. He said that, under the district's current models and projected growth of approximately 800 students, a baseline budget of roughly $99 million would require $4.6 million in reductions to avoid eating into the district's fund balance.
Snell and finance staff presented several immediate and midterm steps the district is pursuing. They include targeted hiring freezes and vacancy reviews, a department-level audit to identify at least 10% more cuts, a review of transportation stop reductions, tighter central-office travel limits, and an audit of master schedules and class-size ratio options. Staff emphasized that cuts will prioritize avoiding frontline classroom losses where possible.
State risks and potential funding offsets
Snell told trustees he expects an active 2025 Texas legislative session, with more than 2,000 bills filed at the time of the meeting and about 500 that could affect public education. He highlighted proposals that could materially affect the district's finances:
- Voucher proposals. Snell said the lieutenant governor seeks to fund vouchers with roughly $500 million; earlier proposals suggest phased eligibility for special education students and then students in low‑performing schools. He said the House speaker fight makes voucher prospects uncertain but potentially more likely.
- Changes to allotments. Several bills were described as seeking to increase targeted allotments such as school safety and special education. Snell noted that increased funding for special‑education services or safety allotments would be beneficial because the district currently covers more program cost than the state funds.
- Property‑tax compression risk. Any further compression or broad property‑tax relief without a hold‑harmless state backfill could reduce local revenue and leave districts with lower overall funding.
Board direction and next steps
Snell said the administration will continue detailed budget modeling and bring recommendations to board workshops in January and March. The district will seek to preserve fund balance by making as many nonrecurring reductions as possible and will prioritize options that retain teachers and maintain classroom offerings.
Snell also asked trustees to help advocate with state leaders for restoration of allotments and supplemental funding; he cited earlier legislative proposals and a reported multi‑billion dollar state budget surplus as a reason to press for increased K‑12 funding.
The board did not take immediate action on the budget but authorized staff to continue building models and return with recommended cuts and community‑facing town‑hall presentations on proposed changes.
