Texas
Texas schools, including Bryan ISD, face budget challenges amid federal cuts and state funding delays
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) -As federal funding dwindles and state funding remains delayed by Governor Abbott’s push for school vouchers, school districts across the state are faced with difficult budget decisions heading into the 2024-2025 school year.
Here locally, as the end of the school year approaches, Bryan ISD leaders are already tackling next year’s budget, but achieving balance won’t be a simple task.
The primary funding for the district stems from the local budget, which supports a majority of instructional and other district activities. This budget primarily comprises state funding from the Foundation School Program (FSP) and local property tax assessments. Additionally, the Federal Budget serves as a supplementary funding source, often utilized to enhance district activities rather than replacing existing funds. However, these federal funds generally cannot be allocated to meet minimum requirements for mandated student services within the district.
“Well, a little over 85% of our budget is spent on personnel, staff, so that means there’s not a lot of wiggle room in a budget in order to make adjustments,” said Bryan ISD Board of Trustees President Dr. Julie Harlin.
Harland says federal funding cuts, plus Governor Abbott’s demand for school voucher legislation before allocating funds to public schools, mean tough choices for the district.
“We are in a unique situation, not just Bryan ISD but every school district across the state is in a budget situation, and we’re trying to figure out how to balance budgets appropriately,” said Harlin. “So we are working diligently trying to figure out what the next steps will be in terms of ensuring that we’re well positioned for the next budget cycle.”
Dr. Amanda Brownson, a consultant with the Texas Association of School Business Officials, emphasized to school leaders that when it comes to finance, budgeting, and taxes, hope is not a strategy.
“Try to put yourself on a glide path to balance budget and fiscal security. If the legislature comes through and helps, that’s great, but really we would very much encourage you to take your fate into your own hands,” said Brownson.
Earlier this year, district leaders approved the realignment of the school’s budget to better align with the academic year, aiming to improve planning and decision-making for the upcoming school year. A recent presentation indicated that this strategic move is expected to significantly impact the budgeting process for the next academic term. The district had previously budgeted for 12 months but only incurred expenses for 10 months, resulting in a surplus. This adjustment will lead to a one-time addition of approximately $20 million to the Fund Balance, helping to offset projected deficits for the 2024-2025 school year and beyond.
Harlin says that since staffing accounts for the bulk of expenditures, the district will need to make necessary adjustments and consistently refine the budget.
“It is our intention to not fill positions as there are vacancies and retirements. So yes, there will be staffing changes as a result. There simply is no way to even get close to a balanced budget without impacting some of those areas,” Harlin said. “Hopefully, we can find some low-hanging fruit ways to manage the budget.”
Bryan ISD officials say while things may not be ideal, they’re confident the best decisions will be made to continue their mission of putting children first always.
“There’s absolutely a budget crisis in this state. Fortunately, in Bryan ISD, we’re not having to close campuses, but in many school districts across the state, that is the situation they are in,” said Harlin. “So we’re fortunate here, but it doesn’t mean that there won’t be changes. We will have to make changes to move us forward.”
“I’ve heard other districts say, you know, survival mode, crisis situation, those are true, but I will say that we’re well-positioned to handle that here. But it will mean tightening the belt across the board,” Harlin added.
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Texas A&M will be without its leading scorer for this weekend’s top-10 matchup against Alabama. The Aggies listed senior point guard Wade Taylor IV as out in its SEC-mandated availability report on Friday night.
Meanwhile, Alabama will be without backup guard Houston Mallette, who was listed as out for the matchup against Texas A&M. Earlier on Friday, Alabama head coach Nate Oats said Mallette is having his knees evaluated as the team decides whether or not to sit him for the rest of the season and apply for a medical redshirt.
Taylor leads Texas A&M in both scoring (15.7 points per game) and assists (4.8 per game. The 6-foot, 180-pound senior has scored in double digits in all of his 13 games this season. During Texas A&M’s 100-75 loss at Alabama last year, the Tide held Taylor to 10 points and five rebounds on 4 of 15 shooting, including 2 of 5 from beyond the arc.
According to a report from KWKT FOX 44, Taylor experienced knee tightness during Texas A&M’s 80-60 win over Texas on Jan. 4. The guard left for the locker room during the second half against the Longhorns but was able to return to action, finishing with 13 points on 25 minutes. Taylor did not play during the Aggies’ 80-78 win over Oklahoma on Wednesday. He was replaced by senior Manny Obaseki in the starting lineup.
With Taylor out, Texas A&M leaned on senior guard Zhuric Phelps, who scored a career-high 34 points against Oklahoma, making 11 of 25 shots from the floor, including 6 of 10 from beyond the arc.
Alabama (13-2, 2-0 in the SEC) is set to tip off against Texas A&M (13-2, 2-0) on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT inside Reed Arena in College Station, Texas. The game will be televised on ESPN.
On Friday night, two of college football’s iconic programs will meet with a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship game on the line.
The Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns have their fingerprints all over the sport’s history yet somehow have squared off only three times.
A Fiesta Bowl meeting after the 2008 season. A home-and-home series in 2005 and 2006. That’s all the history the Buckeyes and Longhorns share on the gridiron — until they take the field in the CFP Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Friday.
Here’s how each of those three matchups played out.
Jan. 5, 2009: Texas 24, Ohio State 21
Although the 2009 Fiesta Bowl experienced a low-scoring first 30 minutes (the Buckeyes led 6-3 at halftime), the fourth quarter offered an ending to remember.
First, Ohio State roared back into the lead with 17 unanswered points after entering the final period trailing 17-6. With just two minutes to respond, Texas put together an impressive 11-play drive that culminated in quarterback Colt McCoy finding wide receiver Quan Cosby for the winning touchdown with 16 seconds remaining.
The McCoy and Cosby connection dominated all game, with the pair linking up 14 times for 171 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Sept. 9, 2006: Ohio State 24, Texas 7
McCoy’s first encounter with Ohio State wasn’t as pleasant as the Fiesta Bowl.
In a battle of the then-No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the land, it was the top-ranked Buckeyes who made an early-season statement against the defending national champion Longhorns on the road in Austin. Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, who would go on to win the Heisman Trophy that season, threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns as the Buckeyes scored in all four quarters of the win.
Sept. 10, 2005: Texas 25, Ohio State 22
The first meeting between the Longhorns and Buckeyes came with nearly the same high billing as the 2006 contest, with the two squads squaring off as the No. 2 and No. 4 teams in the country, respectively.
As in 2006, it was the higher-ranked visiting side that came out on top, although the game itself proved to be much closer. Texas jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, but Ohio State battled back and eventually entered halftime, and then the fourth quarter, ahead.
Said final quarter, however, belonged to the Longhorns. Quarterback Vince Young’s 24-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Limas Sweed proved to be the winner, with Texas adding some insurance in the game’s final moments with a safety-inducing sack of Troy Smith in the end zone.
The top-five win was the Longhorns’ first major statement in a campaign that would end with a national championship.
NORTH TEXAS – This week’s snow event will end with a “few flurries” during Friday’s morning commute, according to CBS News Texas meteorologist Jeff Ray.
“But roads will have frozen over,” Ray said.
Expect hazardous road conditions in the morning, as it will be “the worst” the roads have been since the event started on Thursday morning, Ray said.
Late in the morning, temperatures will rise above freezing, which will “help drivers get around the Metroplex,” Ray said.
A cold front is expected Friday, he said.
“We are going to have wind chills in the 20s all day,” Ray said. “By nightfall on Friday, temperatures will drop quickly and water will re-freeze on the roads across the evening. This ice will remain until mid-morning on Saturday before the sun and warmer temperatures in the mid-40s clear the roadways.”
CBS News Texas will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.
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