Superintendent says HB2 basic allotment increase won't fully solve LISD's funding shortfall

Lewisville ISD Superintendent Doctor Rapp told the school board that proposed changes in the Texas Legislature to school finance will alter headline funding numbers but are unlikely to cover the district's underlying shortfalls.

Rapp described House Bill 2 as a school‑finance bill that proposes a $220 increase to the basic allotment with a statewide price tag the district cited at about $3.2 billion. He said the House version would also require that 40% of any increase be used for staff salaries, up from the current 30% requirement, and outlined other changes in HB2/HB3 the district is tracking including small and mid‑size allotment changes and a new initial evaluation allotment for special education.

Using district calculations, Rapp said Lewisville ISD's per‑student funding could be presented multiple ways: TEA reports a statewide average funding per student of $10,800 (including tier 1 and tier 2), but when LISD calculates the amounts it can practically spend on every pupil the district's figure is about $9,207 per student (excluding TRS on behalf, which the district cannot spend). Rapp warned that averaging statewide or across categories masks the fact that many allotments are categorical (special education, CTE, dyslexia, transportation) and are not fungible for every student.

Rapp said district staff will prepare charts and a narrative for legislators and submit comments to the House Public Education Committee ahead of a Thursday hearing on HB2. "Just because you can calculate an average does not mean that you should," he said, urging trustees to emphasize to lawmakers that additional dollars tied to special programs do not equate to extra discretionary funds for every child.

Board members pressed for data breakdowns by population and campus. Rapp and finance staff said they would provide more granular reports and submit the district's charts to legislative staff as part of the district's advocacy work.