2 weeks Ago By Natalie Petrovich
In Hays Consolidated Independent School District (CISD), the push and pull of finance and education has led to STEM programs being cut at five of its elementary schools. Citing budget issues, the district pointed out that persistent inflation has run through funds without any increase in the basic funding formula since 2019. As reported by CBS Austin, a district spokesperson said, "Without any increase at all from the state, we are looking at a $13.
5 million deficit next school year." Although no layoffs are anticipated, some employees could face changes in their roles.Simultaneously, Hays CISD has proposed a nearly $1 billion bond to voters in the upcoming May 3 ballot.
This bond, split into five propositions, could see an expansion in school structures and resources as the district prepares to double its student enrollment in the next decade. KUT.org details that Proposition A alone totals about $499 million, with a chunk of that going toward the construction of a new elementary school and the design of another.
The bond package, as expected, does more than just expand infrastructure. School Board President Raul Vela Jr., focusing on classroom sizes and their impact, told KUT.
org, "The bigger the classrooms ...
that becomes really difficult for some teachers, which eventually hurts our student outcomes." Furthermore, the bond would address athletic and technological needs across the district, adding artificial turf and new weight room equipment to decrease water use and injuries among student athletes, respectively.While the district seeks to mend its fiscal wound with the hefty bond, leaders have pledged the proposition will not inflate taxpayers' bills.
The bond takes into account a fourth high school for Buda, as well as refurbishing stadiums and multipurpose activity centers to combat the hotter and drier climate projections for the next ten years. All these efforts ambitiously meet the growing needs of the Hays CISD community, hoping to enrich both the learning and physical environments of its youth. In the maze of fiscal challenges, one light shines clear – the decision comes down to voters between April 22 and May 3, with election day resting solidly on the latter.
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