Clear Creek Independent School District (CCISD) will be discussing its budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 during a workshop scheduled for July 14.
The board of trustees will also consider a three-year agreement with Galveston County for the continuation of school resource officers (SROs) in nearly 50 schools, along with an administrative assistant for the program.
Budget Overview for FY 2025-26
During a previous budget work session on June 10, district officials projected a $12.1 million shortfall for FY 2025-26. Although the state provided salary increases for teachers in its 2025 legislative session, district officials expressed concerns over the limited flexibility for other funding areas.
CCISD Chief Financial Officer, Alice Benzaia, mentioned, “The projections provided are not what I had hoped for. The state gave districts very little flexibility within the funding provided. We’re grateful that our classroom teachers will receive a well-deserved salary increase, but the remaining funding will not get us to a balanced budget.”
Projected Expenses and Revenues
As of the June 10 session, CCISD expects $424.3 million in expenses for FY 2025-26, marking a $21.1 million increase compared to FY 2024-25. The district anticipates revenues of $410 million, which is a $15.4 million increase from the previous year.
When including $2.1 million in other sources, this leaves the district facing a projected shortfall of $12.1 million.
Notable changes in expenses include:
A $13.1 million mandated salary increase
A $2.5 million increase in special education staffing
A $2.2 million increase in operational costs
A $1.3 million increase due to the end of the Safe and Secure grant funds
Revenue changes include:
An $18.7 million increase in state and local funding
A $4.9 million decrease in capital and contingency funds
A $1.4 million decrease from a decline in student transfers into the district
A $700,000 decrease in pre-K tuition due to reduced enrollment
SRO Agreement Discussion
In addition to the budget, trustees will consider a new three-year agreement with Galveston County to provide nearly 50 SROs for CCISD schools, as well as an administrative assistant for the SRO program.
This agreement would replace the current three-year contract, which ends on July 28. If approved, the new contract would run from July 29, 2025, through July 28, 2028.
The cost of the contract, which includes the administrative assistant, will be $14.1 million, and will be paid from the district’s general fund.
The board will meet for the budget discussion on July 14 at 4:30 p.m. at the Education Support Center in League City. Additional budget-related meetings are scheduled as follows:
July 28: Board meeting to schedule a public hearing on the budget and tax rate
August 11: Board workshop for a budget update
August 25: Board meeting for a public hearing and budget adoption
September 22: Board meeting to adopt the 2025 tax rate
