Giddings ISD cites enrollment decline and missing free/reduced forms that shrink funding; district weighs staff reductions

CFO Angie Bloodworth told the Giddings ISD Board of Trustees on Jan. 15 that lower enrollment and a steep fall in returned free/reduced meal forms have combined to reduce the district's state and federal funding by substantial amounts, forcing district leaders to consider staffing and program adjustments.

Bloodworth said the district's current enrollment is 1,788, down from the August projection of 1,842, and that the district's refined average-daily-attendance (ADA) estimate used for funding calculations is 1,745 compared with the template figure of 1,688. "If you look at number 21, you'll see we're down another $345,000 for a decline in ADA," she said. She added that the district lost 263 completed economically disadvantaged forms, a drop she estimated is costing the district roughly $417,000 and also reducing eligibility calculations for federal programs such as Title I.

"If we have free meals to hold over somebody's head to get this back, then that's what we need to do," Bloodworth said, arguing that families who do not return…