Plano ISD projects $44.8M shortfall for 2026–27; trustees press legislative advocacy on recapture

Courtney Reeves, Plano ISD chief financial officer, told trustees the district’s preliminary 2026–27 budget projects total revenues of $649,600,000 and an overall projected deficit of $44,800,000. Reeves attributed revenue changes to enrollment projections, shifts in state reimbursements and the end of a prior one‑time settlement.

Reeves outlined drivers of the projection: a projected decrease in Average Daily Attendance (about 208 students), a proposed reduction in the district’s maintenance-and-operations tax rate, and normalization of cost-report settlements. Reeves said the district expects recapture payments to rise by about $14,100,000; addressing that increase became a focal point during trustee discussion. Trustee Elise Klein and others urged legislative advocacy: “It’s an unfair state tax on Plano ISD taxpayers,” one trustee said, arguing recapture reduces funds available to instruction. Staff noted a robust fund balance (Reeves cited roughly $276,000,000) and said district leaders were developing plans to bridge the gap while keeping classroom priorities.