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Leander ISD adopts 2026–27 budget, holds tax rate steady at 1.0869
Summary
The Leander ISD Board adopted the district’s 2026–27 general, child nutrition and debt service budgets and several related financial actions after a public hearing and line-by-line discussion. Administration presented a projected $9.9 million deficit within the board’s 3% parameter and proposed holding the maintenance-and-operations rate at 0.7569.
The Leander Independent School District Board of Trustees on July 8 adopted the district’s 2026–27 general fund, child nutrition and debt service budgets after a public hearing and a series of staff briefings and board questions.
Finance staff told trustees the proposed plan projects $465,934,821 in revenue and $476,186,879 in expenditures, producing a deficit of roughly $9.9 million that the administration said is within the board’s 3% guideline. Gina, a district finance staff member, summarized the tax proposal in the hearing: “We have a total proposed tax rate of 1.0869,” with maintenance-and-operations at 0.7569 and interest-and-sinking at 0.33.
Why it matters: the budget frames staffing, classroom resources and the district’s ability to maintain services. Presenters said about 70% of revenue comes from local property taxes and roughly 26% from state funding; payroll remains the largest expenditure (about 88% of the budget), and the district is tracking enrollment slightly below earlier projections (PEIMS data cited near 41,951 students).
Board members pressed staff for clarity on several points, including how Teacher Retirement Act (TRA) flow-through appears in payroll figures and whether one-time incentives for staff could be funded. Gina explained that prior years showed a flow-through of roughly $13.5 million and that additional TRS employer costs would be shown on the detailed packet for 2026–27.
The board also approved a final budget amendment (a routine reconciliation designed to avoid audit findings) and a legislatively required allocation of $295,164 for accelerated instruction to comply with state law. Trustees voted on each item during the open meeting; the motions carried with board majorities reported on the record.
Trustees debated one allocation change to the district’s assigned fund balance. The board voted 5–1 to reduce the assigned general-fund balance for the district’s self-funded health care reserve from $10,000,000 to $6,000,000 to free up unassigned funds for other needs.
The administration said the district will continue monitoring revenues and enrollment and will revisit line items if certified property values or collection rates change. The board directed administrators to provide monthly updates and follow-up materials in November and at the July 23 governance meeting.
Next steps: the budget as adopted will be posted with the taxpayer-impact statement and supporting schedules; staff said certified property values later this summer could change final calculations and they will return with updates as needed.
