Brownsville ISD nears completion of 2025-26 budget

Just as the House and Senate were reaching a deal on an $8.5 billion funding package for Texas public schools, the Brownsville Independent School District was moving forward on next year’s budget.

Legislative leaders in Austin announced the deal on Thursday amid an ongoing battle over school finance. It appeared to strike a face-saving compromise for both chambers, which had been divided by the House’s aim to bump up the basic per-student allotment and the desire in the Senate to prioritize teacher pay raises.

Legislative leaders said the package in House Bill 2 represents a historic investment in public schools, although advocates say such an effort is long overdue and comes as school districts across the state are facing budget shortfalls brought on by six years of doing nothing to increase the basic per-student allotment, which has remained at $6,160 since 2019.

Meanwhile, Brownsville ISD has been working right along on its 2025-2026 budget, which must be enacted by July 1, the start of the district’s fiscal year.

BISD is the largest district in the Edinburg-based Region One Education Service Center that stretches from Laredo to Brownsville.

Its budget of nearly $579 million is larger than the city of Brownsville or Cameron County. Even as it consolidates schools and grows smaller because of changing demographics and a falling birth rate, it is still the largest employer south of San Antonio.

But its schools and facilities have long-standing maintenance and modernization needs. Earlier this year, BISD tried to float a $350 million bond issue for just that purpose, but a divided Board of Trustees couldn’t reach agreement on how to include a desired performing arts center, what schools to upgrade and other issues.

House Bill 2 takes a different approach to the basic per-student allotment, which districts traditionally have used to pay for a range of other needs, including insurance, maintenance and instructional materials.

Rather than raising the amount beyond the $55 proposed by the Senate, the deal would set aside $1.3 billion for a fund to cover some fixed costs, lawmakers said — essentially providing a different way to give districts the spending flexibility they had hoped for.

BISD Superintendent Jesus H. Chavez said the state missed the mark.

“While we appreciate the state’s efforts to allocate additional funding, we remain concerned that the amount provided still falls short of what is truly needed,” Chavez said in a statement to The Brownsville Herald.

“Since the last legislative session, funding levels have not kept pace with the growing demands on public education. As a result, most districts—including BISD—continue to experience significant budget shortfalls. This ongoing gap makes it increasingly difficult to meet educational needs and places added financial strain on our local communities,” the statement read.

“BISD requires additional funding to properly maintain facilities, expand educational programs, and offer competitive salaries to attract and retain quality staff. At this time, the district is also uncertain about the financial impact that enrollment shifts and the implementation of school vouchers may have on our budget moving forward,” Chavez added.

In a statement to the Texas Tribune announcing the compromise, House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, said the deal “reflects constructive input from both chambers and parties, and a shared commitment to delivering historic school funding and teacher pay raises.”

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the Republican Senate leader, called it “the most effective school finance bill in Texas history.”

At BISD’s most recent budget committee meeting on Tuesday, members went over substitute teacher pay, nurses pay and other costs.

In a presentation by Human Resources Director Linda Gallegos, it emerged that Brownsville substitute pay falls in the middle of the pack among similar-sized districts in Region One.

In 2024-2025, the daily rate for certified substitutes ranged from a high of $185 at La Joya and Mission, to $180 at Donna, PSJA and Weslaco, $165 at Edinburg, $150 in Brownsville, $140 at Los Fresnos and Point Isabel, $135 at Harlingen and San Benito, $130 at Laredo United and $125 at McAllen.

Administration substitutes earn $210 per day at Weslaco and $160 at Brownsville, the only two districts with that category.

BISD has more than 800 active substitute teachers. Mondays and Fridays are the most-utilized days, with an average of 517 and 577, respectively. Tuesdays at 503, Wednesdays at 495 and Thursdays at 508, are right behind.

Committee member Minerva Pena urged the administration to try to raise BISD rates so that it attracts the best talent.

Nurses fall under professional instructional support and their pay is at 98% of market value, according to a study by the Texas Association of School Boards and Gallegos’ presentation.

BISD has one more budget workshop on June 9 before a June 26 special called Board of Trustees meeting to adopt the budget. The board is to adopt the district’s tax rate at its Sept. 2 meeting.

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