Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Boerne ISD previews budget trade-offs: shifts dual-language model, warns HB 2 will constrain pre-K expansion
Loading...
Summary
Miss Flores outlined instructional and budget priorities: a move from 90/10 to a 70/30 dual-language model starting in kindergarten (phased to 50/50 by grades 4–5), implementation of a shortened morning 'launch', and concerns that House Bill 2’s private-partner rules could shift about 85% of state pre-K funding to outside providers, constraining district control and funding for services.
Miss Flores, presenting the teaching and learning portion of the district’s budget workshop, outlined a set of instructional shifts and state-driven constraints trustees should factor into budget planning.
"We... made the shift for math and reading will be taught in English and where science and social studies will be taught in Spanish," Flores said, summarizing the dual-language reallocation that will accompany a move to a 70/30 model in kindergarten (70% Spanish/30% English) and a phased transition to a 50/50 allocation by grades 4–5 in 2027–28. Flores said the change is intended to increase English-language development and allow implementation of the district’s 95% phonics curriculum so emergent bilingual students receive sufficient English instruction.
Why it matters: The change seeks to preserve core literacy and math instructional time while maintaining dual-language programming. Trustees and staff said the shift was committee-driven, with implementation phased to allow staffing and professional development adjustments.
Capturing Kids' Hearts and scheduling: Miss Pomeroy explained Capturing Kids' Hearts is a relationship-focused approach rather than a stand-alone curriculum, supported by two-day trainings and periodic "traction visits" by consultants. Flores said the district will reduce the traditional morning meeting to a five-minute "morning launch" to protect core instructional minutes while embedding relationship-building practices throughout the day.
Pre-K and House Bill 2: Flores warned that House Bill 2 (HB 2) introduces a state-mandated private-partner verification process for adding pre-K seats beginning in 2027 and that "at least 85% of the state funding follows the student directly to the private partner," leaving the district with roughly 15% to cover oversight, specialized services and coordination. Flores said the district cannot yet answer operational questions about snapshot dates, private partner standards or special-needs implications because TEA guidance is still pending; trustees pressed for clarification and said the uncertainty should be part of the district’s legislative priorities.
Accountability and assessment changes: Flores also reviewed A–F accountability revisions and said TEA will replace STAAR with a Student Success Tool (SST) in 2027–28 with shorter, more frequent assessments for grades 3–8; further implementation details are pending from TEA. She described CCMR (college, career and military readiness) weighting changes, shared recent ASVAB results reported by campuses, and outlined CTE funding weightings and estimated CCMR outcome funding of approximately $935,000 for the class of 2024.
Budget timeline: Wes walked trustees through the April–June budget-development timeline and told the board the executive leadership team will continue prioritizing initiative packages leading to the next budget workshop and potential June adoption. Trustees asked staff to bring additional information about HB 2, pre-K implications, timing for retrofits (for other agenda items) and CCMR/CTE funding impacts to the next workshop.
The board did not act on these instructional items during the workshop; staff will return with more detailed guidance and cost implications as TEA rules are released.
