Godley ISD board approves balanced 2026–27 budget after questions on detail; hires 6th‑grade assistant principal

The Godley Independent School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve the district's 2026–27 budget after a brief public comment and staff explanations of key cost drivers.

At the outset of public participation, a sign‑up speaker, Olsen, told trustees a one‑page budget summary was insufficient and urged more line‑item transparency. "A half page budget is not enough," Olsen said, noting broad categories such as "salaries, 28 some million dollars," and asking where a taxpayer could find a return‑on‑investment or more detailed breakdowns of professional services and contracted services.

Spencer, who presented the proposed budget and took board questions, said the district's roughly 4.2% increase from the prior year stemmed largely from payroll and a higher shared‑service charge for the special education cooperative. "Payroll was about a 2 and a half percent increase," he said, and the Johnson County shared‑service agreement added about $400,000, which together explained roughly $1.5 million of the change. Spencer told the board the general fund budget is balanced and does not use the general fund balance; the child nutrition fund will use some fund balance (permitted under federal program rules), and the debt service fund is adding funds primarily from delinquent tax collections.

On insurer expectations, Spencer said he consulted with Insurica and budgeted a modest contingency for a possible 0–5% premium increase. He also gave a hypothetical: had the district filed claims on every building damaged in a recent hailstorm, that exposure would have been about $3.5 million against a fund balance the presenter said was roughly $4.2 million at the end of last year.

After discussion, board member Krista Hiner moved to approve the 2026–27 Godley ISD budget "as presented and recommended," and Simone seconded. The chair called the question and stated the motion passed unanimously.

Votes at a glance - Approval: 2026–27 Godley ISD budget (agenda item 5A). Motion by Krista Hiner; second by Simone. Outcome: approved unanimously. - Approval: hiring of assistant principal for the 6th‑grade campus (candidate named in the transcript as "Jake"). Motion by Krista Hiner; motion seconded and approved unanimously.

The meeting then went into closed session under Texas Government Code 551.074 to discuss personnel; afterward the board returned and approved the AP hire.

Why this matters: the board approved a budget the administration says is balanced and built around a voluntary decrease to the Tier 2 tax rate while absorbing specific increases tied to payroll and special education shared services. Community members seeking greater line‑item transparency pressed the board to publish more detailed documentation so taxpayers can see how categorical sums are broken down.

The board adjourned after completing its business.