by Nicole Bradford
Pearland ISD trustees this month began grappling with the next fiscal year budget based on drops in expected revenue, remaining hopeful that the 89th Texas Legislature will increase public school funding.
“We have to plan ahead,” Pearland ISD Superintendent Larry Berger told board members. “I want you to have what the reality is today, and what it could be moving forward.”
With a projected enrollment of 20,668 students next year, Pearland ISD was once a fast-growing district, but it isn’t anymore, Berger said, and both enrollment and attendance declines impact state funding.
“We have more students graduating than we have kindergarten group coming in,” Berger said.
On the bright side, should House Bill 2 pass through the legislature as is, the district could see additional funding anywhere from $9 million to $11 million.
“Any extra funding we receive, this will be augmented as we go along,” Berger said.
The initial discussion of the school district’s next fiscal year budget will be followed with another workshop in May before the board adopts a budget at the second of two planned meetings in June. Discussion and board decision on a compensation plan is expected at the first June meeting.
