CYPRESS, Texas — Cypress-Fairbanks ISD has a budget problem. District leaders held a special meeting Monday night to figure out how to cut $68 million from its budget to address a deficit of $138 million.
No decisions were made during the meeting, but district leaders made it clear cuts will have to be made ahead of next school year.
They said several factors have contributed to this problem. District leaders said inflation has driven up costs, but the state has not increased funding for students in five years.
Plus, attendance is down 2 percent.
Now, Cy-Fair ISD leaders have to find a way to cut $68 million from the budget. So far, they have gotten feedback from parents and formed a budget reduction advisory committee.
“Once the target budget reduction amount was determined, we began the process of solicitating recommendations from stakeholders based on three questions: where should we look first? What should we not consider cutting? What ideas do they have for generating revenue for the district?” Teresa Hull, CFISD chief of staff, said during the meeting.
Here are some of the committee’s recommendations: Reducing district-level positions, modifying raises, cutting transportation services, and reducing college career specialists and behavior interventionalists.
Those are just options on the table, but the superintendent said the district will have to decide by July 1.