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.
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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.”
Bryan ISD Board of Trustees President Dr. Julie Harlin.(KBTX)
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.
Dr. Amanda Brownson, a consultant with the Texas Association of School Business Officials(KBTX)
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.
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“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 Board of Trustees(KBTX)
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.
Evercore ISI senior managing director Mark Mahaney joins Varney & Co. to discuss the departure of Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings and to address questions about the company’s future leadership and strategy.
The state of Texas announced a lawsuit against streaming giant Netflix on Monday, accusing the company of spying on children and other consumers by collecting their data without consent and designing the platform to be addictive.
Texas claims that Netflix has falsely represented to consumers that it didn’t collect or share user data while it actually tracked and sold viewers’ habits and preferences to commercial data brokers and advertising technology companies.
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The lawsuit, filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, claims that “Netflix’s endgame is simple and lucrative: get children and families glued to the screen, harvest their data while they are stuck there, and then monetize the data for a handsome profit.”
The state of Texas announced a lawsuit against streaming giant Netflix on Monday. (Nikos Pekiaridis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“When you watch Netflix, Netflix watched you,” Texas added in the lawsuit.
NETFLIX CO-FOUNDER REED HASTINGS TO STEP DOWN, DEPARTURE IS ‘SPOOKING INVESTORS’
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The complaint quotes comments made by former CEO Reed Hastings who said in 2020, while he was still leading the streaming company, that “we don’t collect anything,” amid questions over Big Tech companies’ data collection practices.
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Netflix was also accused of quietly using “dark patterns” to keep users watching on its platform, such as an autoplay feature that starts a new show after a different show ends.
NETFLIX RAISES SUBSCRIPTION PRICES ACROSS ALL PLANS
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the lawsuit. (Cheney Orr/Reuters)
Paxton said in a press release that Netflix “has built a surveillance program designed to illegally collect and profit from Texans’ personal data without their consent, and my office will do everything in our power to stop it.”
The attorney general said he’s charging Netflix under the state’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act and seeks to require Netflix to stop the unlawful collection and disclosure of user data, require Netflix to disable autoplay by default on kid’s profiles, and to secure injunctive relief and civil penalties.
Six people were found dead inside a cargo train boxcar in a Texas city along the southern border on Sunday, officials said.
The bodies were found in a Union Pacific train at a rail yard in Laredo, around 160 miles south of San Antonio, just after 3:30 p.m. local time, said Jose Espinoza, a public information officer with the Laredo Police Department.
The circumstances of their deaths are unknown, said Laredo police spokesperson Joe Baeza, according to CNN affiliate KGNS, and an investigation is underway.
Union Pacific operates across the border and is the only railroad that services all access points into Mexico, according to the freight company’s website.
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Temperatures on Sunday afternoon in Laredo were in the low-mid 90s, though it’s unclear whether heat was a factor.
Union Pacific said it was saddened by the incident and is working closely with law enforcement to investigate.
Laredo police said they received a call around 3 p.m. from an employee at the Union Pacific rail yard, KGNS reported. The bodies were discovered during a routine rail car inspection, police said. No survivors were found.
CNN has reached out to Laredo police for more information.
“It’s a very early phase of the investigation. There’s not a lot to reveal right now,” Baeza said, KGNS reported.
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The immigration status and ages of the deceased are not yet known, Espinoza said.
US Customs and Border Protection referred CNN to the Laredo Police Department, saying “The incident remains under investigation by Laredo Police Department and Homeland Security Investigation and Texas Rangers.”
CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, HSI and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
“It’s a very unfortunate event,” Espinoza told CNN. “It was too many lives that were lost.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate state emergency response resources as a massive storm system threatens much of the state with hurricane-force winds, giant hail, and the risk of tornadoes.
Severe weather in Texas
The severe weather, expected to last through Monday morning, covers a vast footprint including West, North, East, Central, and South-Central Texas. Forecasters warned the system could produce wind gusts exceeding 75 mph and hail larger than 2 inches in diameter.
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What they’re saying:
“Texas is prepared to confront the severe storms that pose a threat to communities all across our state,” Abbott said in a statement. He urged Texans to monitor local forecasts and warned motorists never to drive through flooded roadways, invoking the phrase, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”
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Heavy rainfall is expected to be widespread, with some areas potentially seeing isolated totals of 3 to 6 inches, which could lead to significant flash flooding. As the system progresses, the threat is expected to shift toward the South and Southeast Texas coasts.
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In preparation, the governor has deployed a wide array of state assets to assist local officials, including:
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Search and Rescue: Swiftwater and floodwater rescue boat squads and urban search and rescue teams from Texas A&M Task Forces 1, 2, and 3.
Aviation and Marine Support: Helicopters with hoist capabilities from the Department of Public Safety and Texas Parks and Wildlife, as well as Tactical Marine Units.
Infrastructure and Recovery: Texas Forest Service saw crews to clear debris from roads and Department of Transportation personnel to monitor highway conditions.
Medical and Utility Support: Emergency medical task forces with ambulances and all-terrain vehicles, along with monitors from the Public Utility Commission to coordinate power outage responses.
State agencies are also monitoring the state’s natural gas supply and water quality as the storms move through.
Officials encouraged residents to assemble emergency kits and check road conditions at DriveTexas.org before attempting to travel.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Governor Greg Abbott Press Office.
