During its June 18 meeting, the Board of Trustees agenda included:
- Board Adopts 2026–27 Budget Amid Continued Funding Pressures
- District Builds Framework for Tracking Progress Toward Board Goals
- Hiring Announcements: Area Superintendents
The Board will meet next for a workshop meeting Thursday, July 23, 2026.
Superintendent Report: Salute to Class of 2026
As part of Superintendent Clark’s report to the Board, he shared a graduation recap video celebrating Leander ISD’s Class of 2026 and the milestone moment shared by students, families, staff and the broader #1LISD community.
The video captures the joy of graduation season while reflecting the district’s Graduate Profile in action — students crossing the stage prepared to build, think, create and contribute to the world beyond Leander ISD.
Congratulations, Class of 2026!
Board Adopts 2026–27 Budget Amid Continued Funding Pressures
4.A. Public Hearing on the 2026-2027 Proposed Budget and Tax Rate
8.B.4. Consider Adoption of the 2026-2027 Budget
Following months of planning, public discussion and budget reduction work, Trustees adopted the general operating budget for 2026–27.
The budget reflects a growing challenge for Leander ISD: the quality of education, programs and services our community expects and deserves is becoming harder and harder to sustain.
Costs continue to rise, enrollment has slowed and state funding has not fully offset local budget pressures with no meaningful adjustments to per-student funding since the 2019 legislative session. District budget materials note that while House Bill 2 from 2025 included targeted funding increases in certain areas, those gains were offset by the loss of more than $10.5 million in state funding protection — often called “hold harmless” funding — that Leander ISD previously received.
The adopted General Fund operating budget includes $465.9 million in revenue and $476.2 million in expenditures, resulting in a planned deficit of approximately $9.9 million. That deficit remains within the Board’s previously approved 3% budget parameter and is lower than the estimate presented earlier this spring.
Features of the 2026–27 General Fund budget include:
- Support for a projected 41,841 students
- 62% of the General Fund budget dedicated to instruction
- 88% of the operating budget allocated toward payroll, excluding recapture
- No general pay increase for 2026–27
- More than $11 million in identified reductions
- A $510 monthly medical contribution for each full-time employee
- Continued funding to establish the Leander ISD Police Department
- Startup salaries for Faubion School for Early Childhood
Tax Rate Proposal for 2026-27
The projected total tax rate would remain unchanged from the previous year at $1.0869, with both the Maintenance & Operations (M&O) and Interest & Sinking (I&S) rates remaining at 2025-26 levels.
The Board is expected to adopt the final tax rate in August after certified property values and final state calculations are received.
At that time, if the Board increases the M&O tax rate above the amount allowed without voter approval — an option under consideration to generate additional revenue and help preserve programs — that action would then initiate a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) in November.
Previous Updates
- May 7, 2026: Trustees Approve 2026–27 Compensation Plan Amid Ongoing Budget Pressures
- April 2, 2026: Trustees Approve Updated Budget Target for 2026–27
- March 26, 2026: Board Workshop Focuses on Next Phase of District Financial Stabilization
District Builds Framework for Tracking Progress Toward Board Goals
🎬 8.A.2. Discussion of Leading Measures
Trustees held an extensive discussion on how Leander ISD will monitor progress toward the Board’s goals and guardrails during the 2026–27 school year.
District leaders explained that the Board’s adopted goals are largely “lag measures,” meaning they rely on data available after a testing or reporting cycle has ended. Proposed leading measures would provide more timely information throughout the year, helping Trustees and administration monitor progress, identify needs and adjust support before final results are available.
Because the district’s four Board goals include multiple subjects and student groups, tracking every possible metric would create 72 separate measures. Instead, district administration recommended using 2026–27 as a learning year to develop a focused scorecard built around a smaller set of high-leverage indicators.
Proposed focus areas include:
- Math growth in 3rd grade, 6th grade and Algebra I
- Accelerating growth for students classified as economically disadvantaged while continuing to monitor all students
- Using PSAT and SAT performance as earlier indicators of progress toward Texas Success Initiative (TSI) college-readiness goals
- Aligning progress monitoring with Board guardrails, improvement plans and the superintendent evaluation
District leaders emphasized that focusing on students classified as economically disadvantaged is not intended to narrow support to one group. Rather, data shows that when students in this group grow at the same or lower rates than their peers, achievement gaps can widen over time. Trustees also discussed the need to continue disaggregating data across student groups so the district can better understand and respond to student needs.
Hiring Announcements: Area Superintendents
Leander ISD is pleased to welcome Jessica Schock and Terri Osborne as new Area Superintendents after the Board approved the recommendations at Thursday’s Board meeting.
