Superintendent Update: Budget Update and What’s Ahead for Manor ISD

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Manor ISD Community, 

Across Texas, and especially here in Central Texas, you’ve likely seen and heard a lot of conversation about school district budgets and what the future holds. I wanted to take a moment to connect with you directly to share where we are as a district and what the months ahead, including this fall, may bring.

Manor ISD is in a position to adopt a balanced budget in June just as we did a year ago. That is something we are incredibly proud of. It reflects years of thoughtful decision-making and a clear focus on what matters most. Along the way, we have had to and will continue to make some difficult choices, always coming back to one central question: Does this support teaching and learning?

As we plan for the coming school year, we are expecting less revenue. To stay balanced, we have taken a close look at our operations and identified ways to reduce costs and work more efficiently. This includes making tough decisions, such as adjustments to bus transportation and reducing levels of maintenance of HVAC equipment at campuses and facilities. These choices allow us to prioritize what matters most, including reducing elementary class sizes next year and strengthening support in our classrooms.

We will continue working to meet the needs of both our students and staff, from offering competitive salaries to covering the day-to-day operations that keep our schools running. At the same time, we must plan ahead to ensure our schools are equipped to truly support learning.

Our students deserve buildings that are not only operational, but safe, modern, and built for their success. In some of our schools, including Bluebonnet Trail Elementary and Decker  Elementary, we are facing significant challenges tied to aging infrastructure. These campuses have served generations of students well, but now require major foundational and plumbing repairs that go beyond what our day-to-day budget can support.

In Texas, school districts are funded through two primary sources: the Maintenance and Operations (M&O) and Interest and Sinking (I&S). Our M&O budget, which is our primary budget, covers the cost of running our schools. Nearly 83 percent of that funding is budgeted for staff salaries, with the remainder supporting transportation, utilities, and general maintenance. It allows us to keep our schools open, but it does not provide the resources needed for large-scale repairs, replacing aging buses, or upgrading outdated technology.

To address those types of needs, districts must pursue a bond election, which is related to the other funding source, I&S. 

Because of the urgency of some of these facility needs, we have begun discussions about the possibility of holding a bond election as early as this fall. This is not a decision we take lightly, and at this time, nothing has been finalized. What I can promise is that we will continue to be transparent, thoughtful, and focused on what is best for our students and our community.

We are planning to host a virtual town hall in May where we will share more information and answer your questions and a conversation with Trustees this month on April 29. More information about the May virtual town hall will be shared soon. I encourage you to stay engaged, ask questions, and be a part of these important conversations.

Thank you for your continued support of Manor ISD and for being partners in the success of our students.

 

Respectfully, 

Dr. Robert Sormani

Superintendent