Houston ISD board unanimously approves $2.1B budget amid changing leadership

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) has unanimously approved a $2.1 billion budget for the upcoming school year. 

The decision came from the district’s board of managers, which recently underwent changes when the Texas Education Agency replaced four of its nine members. The newly appointed members were given ten days to review the proposal before casting their votes.

As part of preparations for fiscal year 2025 and the 2026 school year, the board implemented a 2.5% budget cut—amounting to approximately $54 million—compared to the previous year. Despite these reductions, the district still anticipates a nearly $40 million budget deficit. While still a shortfall, it marks a significant improvement from last year’s projected $528 million deficit.

The board emphasized minimizing the impact of cuts on classrooms. Their goal was to reduce spending without affecting funding for teachers and instruction. Nearly half of the approved budget—about $1.2 billion—is allocated to teacher salaries, which includes $11.7 million set aside for raises.

Other notable appropriations listed in the budget include:

• $225.4 million for school leadership.
• $190.6 million for facility maintenance and operations.
• $71.9 million for instructional leadership.
• $60 million for general administration.
• $53.5 million for payments to the tax increment fund.
• $44.8 million for data processing services.
• $33.4 million for security and monitoring services.
• $26.1 million for health services.
• $23.7 million for co-curricular and extracurricular activities.

In its efforts to cut spending, the board reduced the central office staff by 9% – a loss of nearly 350 jobs resulting in $71.4 million in savings. The district’s Facilities and Maintenance Operations department saw the most jobs cut, with 199 positions expected to be removed. Additional departments that will undergo large changes in personnel include: Public Affairs and Communication with 78 cuts, Information Technology with 53 cuts and Chief of Schools Office with 49 cuts.

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