|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Spring Branch Independent School District leaders have announced their plan to slash next year’s budget as they grapple with a $35 million shortfall — and many parents aren’t happy with what they’ve seen so far.
Board members and district superintendent Jennifer Blaine have been vocal in their criticism of the state Legislature and its failure to designate more funding to public schools in recent years. The state currently gives districts $6,160 for each of its students. This amount hasn’t increased since 2019, which many public school leaders have blasted as districts face inflationary pressures.
Board members have spent months demanding more funding from the state government, including creating a committee of parents and community members to advocate on the district’s behalf.
Now, district officials say they can’t wait any longer to make cuts to the 2024-25 school year budget. Many of the cuts that have been approved and simply introduced to date have been controversial, garnering criticism from community members who complain the district isn’t being equitable in the changes it’s making.
Here’s what cuts have been announced so far, and what they mean for both the district and families.
What measures have been revealed so far?
Measure: Pausing bond programs
What it does: The district paused projects at Sherwood, Spring Shadows, Thornwood and Terrace elementary schools, in which each school was set to be demolished and rebuilt using 2017 bond funds. In the meantime, the district will assess multiple factors associated with the projects, including each campuses’ long-term operational costs.
Has the measure been approved? Yes.
Measure: Close Treasure Forest Elementary
What it does: Treasure Forest Elementary, located at 7635 Amelia Road on the district’s north side, would close beginning in the 2024-25 school year. Students would instead be relocated to Housman and Ridgecrest Elementary Schools. Each campus is located roughly one mile away from Treasure Forest. The teachers and teacher assistance currently employed at Treasure Forest would follow students to these schools, and any excess staff would fill vacancies across the district.
Has the measure been approved? No.
Measure: Close Panda Path Pre-Kindergarten
What it does: Panda Path Pre-K, located in the Spring Branch Family Development Center on the district’s north side, would close beginning in the 2024-25 school year. Two additional Pre-K classrooms would be opened at Hollibrook Elementary School, a campus roughly one mile away. Students would also be routed to Lion Lane School, a Pre-K center roughly three miles away. Lion Lane’s attendance boundary would also be adjusted to include Edgewood, Hollibrook and Cedar Brook Elementary Schools, three campuses in Panda Path’s feeder pattern.
Has the measure been approved? No.
Measure: Adjust Pre-Kindergarten boundaries
What it does: As each student attends schools in their neighborhood zone, several of these boundaries will be adjusted to shift and balance enrollment across the district. This includes:
- Shifting Memorial Drive Elementary boundary to Bear Boulevard School
- Shifting Shadow Oaks Elementary boundary to Tiger Trail School
- Shifting Nottingham Elementary boundary to Wildcat Way School
- Relocating the Teen Childcare Program to Zebra Zone
Has the measure been approved? Yes.
Measure: Increase Pre-Kindergarten tuition
What it does: Tuition rates for Pre-K would increase by more than 30 percent to $7,002 for the 2024-25 school year. The Texas Education Agency allows a maximum tuition cost of $7,163. The district’s tuition was previously $5355, according to its website.
Has the measure been approved? Yes.
Measure: Raise the teacher-to-student ratio in high schools
What it does: Currently at Spring Branch high schools, the district has one teacher for every 20 students who are considered “low-economic status”, or LES, which means they qualify for free and reduced-price lunches. There is one teacher for every 23 students who are not considered economically disadvantaged. This measure raises the staffing ratio for non-LES students to one teacher for every 25 students. The ratio remains the same for economically disadvantaged students.
Has the measure been approved? Yes.
Measure: Adapt high school schedules
What it does: The district says that a seven-period daily schedule is most cost effective, opposed to the “block” schedule some campuses use, which sees eight different class periods. This measure aligns every high school to the same daily schedule with school hours from 7:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. This change takes some power away from campus principals, who were previously in charge of building their school’s schedule. District leaders have said the change will allow them to better leverage staffing across the district and maximize use of the district’s Career and Technical Education Center, which currently sees a 90-minute lapse without students because of current high school schedules.
Has the measure been approved? Yes.
Measure: Adjust SPIRAL gifted and talented program
What it does: The Spring Branch Program for Improving Reasoning and Accelerating Learning is a gifted and talented program that currently services about 900 third through fifth graders. These students spend one day per week at Bendwood Elementary School for specialized instruction. Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, students as part of this program would receive this instruction at their regular campus through pull-out services, which the district says will save money on staffing and bussing students to the campus.
Has the measure been approved? No.
Measure: Dissolve SKY partnership
What it does: SKY is a partnership between Spring Branch, YES Prep and KIPP — two charter programs. Currently, the district has three charter campuses under this partnership: Northbrook High School, Northbrook Middle School and Landrum Middle School, each on the district’s north side. At these campuses, YES Prep and KIPP teachers oversee core classes while Spring Branch educators teach elective courses.
Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, the district would close these campuses and expand enrollment at district charter schools Westchester Academy for International Studies and Cornerstone Academy. These expansions wouldn’t account for every student currently attending the charter campuses, and district leaders haven’t yet discussed how it will make space for these students at other campuses.
Has the measure been approved? No.
What does Spring Branch expect to save from the cuts?
So far, the district has outlined the following projected savings:
- Closing Treasure Forest: $1,696,167
- Closing Panda Path and adjusting Pre-K boundaries: $975,254
- Increasing Pre-K tuition: Spring Branch hopes to make $494,100 from this change.
- Raising high school staffing ratios: $1,755,000
- Adjusting SPIRAL: $762,774
- Dissolving SKY partnership: $6,222,582
The preliminary cuts total nearly $12 million — roughly a third of the district’s $35 million goal.
How many more cuts are to come?
District leaders have not yet said how many phases there will be to the cuts, but have clearly stated they hope to find $35 million through their changes. Superintendent Blaine has said these plans are just the beginning, and every corner of the district will be impacted by the cost-saving measures.
Some community members have been vocal about wanting the district to outline all of their planned changes at once, to be transparent in their decision-making.
But Blaine has stated that much of the reductions will come from salaries, many from the district’s central office, so she and board members must be strategic and sensitive about how and when they present the cuts.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print.
