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Bastrop ISD budget update flags voucher pressure, revised hold-harmless aid
Summary
CFO Mike White told trustees statewide voucher applications exceeded 274,000 (543 from the district), and TEA revised hold-harmless funding projections from $2.4M to $700K–$1.7M; the presentation included staffing reductions and two pay-raise scenarios, one creating a $1.1M deficit.
Bastrop ISD’s chief financial officer told the Board on April 21 that state-level voucher applications and a change in hold-harmless funding methodology are creating budget uncertainty for 2026–27.
Chief Financial Officer Mike White reported that statewide voucher applications exceeded 274,000 as of March 31, with 543 applications originating within Bastrop ISD. He said the Texas Education Agency adjusted its hold-harmless methodology and reduced the district’s projected funding from $2.4 million to a range of $700,000 to $1.7 million.
White outlined projected revenue increases tied to the proposed virtual education program and an anticipated $600,000 increase in special education funding. On the expenditure side, he described reductions that include eight elementary positions and $400,000 in non-campus department budget cuts, and he presented two compensation scenarios: a 1% midpoint increase that produced no net impact in the model, and a 2% increase that would generate a $1.1 million deficit requiring use of fund balance. White said both scenarios rely on one-time funding sources.
Board members asked questions during the presentation; staff will return with further budget modeling and details on staffing implications before final adoption of the 2026–27 budget.
