LOCAL SCHOOLS
The Hays CISD board voted unanimously on Monday night to approve a preliminary budget plan which includes a proposal for more than $12 million in cuts for the 2026-27 school year.
The proposal would affect over 120 positions across the district and comes as Central Texas schools face growing financial strain.
Among the proposed cuts are educator layoffs, including seven library positions, as well as elimination or reclassification of multiple district administrative office roles. Access to extracurricular activities such as band, dance or choir will also be affected for some students.
In some cases, teachers will no longer receive a stipend for their professional degrees.
The cuts are necessary to replenish the district’s budget, according to Tim Savoy, chief communications officer for Hays CISD. “The district’s fund balance, or savings account, is at a critically low level because of the combination of record inflation and no increases in the basic student funding allotment from the state between 2019 and 2025,” Savoy said in a press statement.
Hays CISD Superintendent Eric Wright, said during the meeting on Monday night that the cuts were less than the district first estimated after a tax increase proposal failed to pass during the November election. Initial estimates were the elimination of 200 jobs and the need to cut $20 million annually for three years, Wright said.
More than 61% of voters in the Hays Consolidated Independent School District voted against the tax increase set forth last November. The 12-cent property tax increase would have made the tax rate $1.2746 per $100 of assessed valuation.
The school district estimated that this increase would have generated approximately $26 million annually, which would have offset inflation, boosted teacher’s salaries and covered other operational expenses, according to Hays CISD.
In May of 2025, Hays CISD voters approved millions of dollars in bonds for the school district, including: a $499 million bond for expand- ing and upgrading schools to increase capacity across the district, $396 million to fund a fourth high school in Buda, and $16.2 million to fund technology upgrades at all campuses.
In May, Voters rejected a $51.4 million bond to fund the construction of four outdoor multipurpose activity centers to be used for fine arts and athletics classes.
These bonds did not include funding for operational expenses, which include maintenance and salaries, which are totally funded by the tax rate determined by the state, according to Wright.
Savoy said the school board knew they were going to make cuts approved on Monday, but wanted to give voters the opportunity in the November election. Once the tax increase failed to pass, measures had to be taken to balance the budget.
“The process actually began in earnest after the failed tax ratification election,” said Wright. “In order to make the budget sustainable moving forward.”
Bella Beard, Hays High School junior and captain on the speech and debate team, spoke out against the cuts during the public comments section of the Monday board meeting.
“Our teachers are the most valuable asset the district has, yet we continue to decrease funding and increase workload,” she said.
“It is imperative that students learn from highly qualified role models and that their talents are recognized and used as a foundational cornerstone,” Beard said “It’s obvious to me, and I hope now it’s obvious to you, that we cannot let this budget pass and expect very good and high quality teachers to teach our students.”
