AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees met on Thursday night to go over next year’s budget.
“Without an increase in funding for public education, without an increase to the basic allotment not only will you see additional reductions that will impact the classroom you will see that state wide,” said Austin ISD CFO Ed Ramos.
Ramos said with the district facing a deficit for the next school year, they had to make cuts. But the district also wanted to make sure students get the best education.
“It has put us in a tough position as a district,” Ramos said. “We have limited dollars we have to work with, but we still have to provide a service to our students.”
Austin ISD has spent months working to cut costs to decrease it’s projected budget deficit.
“So the deficit we are proposing will be $41 million,” Ramos said. “That is assuming that the board does move forward with a Voter Authorized Tax Rate Election.”
How would the VATRE impact taxpayers?
“Looking at a household in the Austin area, which would be about a $563,000 home, that would be a monthly average increase in taxes of about $35 if the voters do approve that,” Ramos said.
If voters end up not approving the VATRE, the district could face a much larger defecit.
“Then we would be looking at a $78 million shortfall,” Ramos said.
The district had to make cuts to central staff positions, contracts and software to reduce the deficit.
“We have identified $29 million dollars in cuts, so those have been made,” Ramos said.
The board will officially vote on the tax rate election in August, then voters would have the final say.
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