Editor's note: The above video is from "Texas in the Red," a KXAN investigation that found most Central Texas school districts have already adopted new budgets for the 2024-25 school year that are in a deficit.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Superintendent Brandon Schovajsa pulls off, in a day, what many would not even consider taking on in a week. He helps cover school bus routes, teaches a biology class in the afternoon, helps coach the football team and works as the superintendent for his small school district of 229 students in Carmine, Texas.
In August, Schovajsa and his school board also managed to do what most districts in Central Texas – big and small – could not. His district adopted a budget for the new school year with a surplus.
Schovajsa is quick to point out if they were fully staffed (they are looking for two more teachers), they too would be in a deficit like most districts in the area.
“If we had the positions and we were able to fill them, then definitely, we would be right there with the rest of them,” Schovajsa said.
The district is looking at $150,000 worth of AC repairs. He said there is simply no money in the budget for that right now. He is not the only person wearing multiple hats. Last year, one of their principals taught an English class — and the history teachers banded together to cover a vacancy in their department.
“We're an A-rated district,” Schovajsa said. “Public schools — we're one of them that that's showing what great things can be produced and I wish we could get a little bit, a little bit more help financially.”
KXAN analyzed the budget data for 58 school districts in Central Texas, and found most of the districts in the area, 65%, have adopted budgets with a deficit. The shortfalls range from $62,000 to $119 million.
School boards across Texas are having conversations around potential budget cuts as they deal with inflation, an attendance rate that never bounced back after the pandemic, and the Texas Education Agency’s forecast of flat enrollment over the next five years. Multiple Central Texas school leaders told KXAN they need at least a $1,000 increase to the basic allotment to restore the purchasing power they had in 2019.
While many of those districts wait to see if the lawmakers will deliver on promises to increase public school funding in the upcoming session legislative session, many are going to voters in November to ask for additional bond dollars to fix old facilities and for tax rate increases to give educators and other support staff raises.
Schovajsa said Round Top-Carmine ISD will ask its voters to approve two golden pennies, which would increase the tax revenue for the school district.
“It would give us about $178,000,” Schovajsa said. “And the key part about it is, is that it's not subject to recapture. That money would stay here.”
In Texas, certain property-rich school districts are required to share their local tax revenue with other school districts. It’s commonly described as “Robin Hood” or recapture.
Although Schovajsa’s district is small, serving less than 300 students, he said the district must pay more than $2 million to the state for the recapture system.
“With that, with that money, obviously we could buy the buses, we could have the maintenance repairs,” Schovajsa said. “When it's taken away, it makes it tough.”
According to Schovajsa, just like the staff, his community steps up in more ways than one to fill in the financial gaps. The district’s education fund donates $90,000 each year for the technology and arts programs, the booster club pays for athletic travel meals and equipment and parents club pays for everything from field trips to classroom supplies.
“The results that we're producing as a small school, I'm very proud of, I know our board is very proud of, [the] communities, proud of and those kids deserve … they deserve nice facilities," Schovajsa said. "They deserve to be fully staffed and to have the help that they need."
