HAYS COUNTY, Texas (Talk1370.com) -- Hays CISD officials announced a sweeping plan Thursday to cut more than 100 positions and delay new school construction in an effort to stabilize the district’s dwindling fund balance.
The proposed $12.2 million in reductions comes as the district grapples with rising operational costs and stagnant state funding.
Spokesperson Tim Savoy noted that while the cuts are necessary to fund payroll and daily operations, they will inevitably impact student services. The Board of Trustees is set to vote on the proposal Monday night; if approved, the cuts would go into effect in July.
The proposal's cuts fall into the following buckets:
Increased Class Sizes: $5,040,000
Central Office & Staff Reductions: $2,689,539
Staff Stipends & Incentives Suspension: $2,284,105
Library & Social Services Reductions: $860,000
Fine Arts & Athletics Trimming: $826,700
PEIMS & Attendance Restructuring: $550,932
Beyond staffing, the district may also delay the opening of its fourth high school until 2030.
Officials point to a failed November tax election and a lack of state-level funding as primary drivers of the crisis, noting that the recent $55 increase in the basic student allotment from the Legislature falls nearly $1,000 short of what is needed to keep pace with rising costs due to inflation.
