Huffman Independent School District work session, May 18, 2026
40 min · 0 public speakers
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What happened
What happened at this meeting
Huffman ISD board workshop reviews preliminary budget, tax rates and lunch prices 0:10
- District staff presented preliminary projections for the food service fund, property taxes, the debt service fund, the general fund, and salaries and compensation. 0:10
- A food service staff member said the paid lunch equity tool suggests a 10-cent to 15-cent increase and described a tiered approach of about $4.10 for elementary and middle schools and $4.15 for high schools. 4:06
- A speaker said keeping the price at $4 would mean assuming some financial risks, and said $4.10 helps protect the general fund. 7:52
- A staff member said the board was not being asked to make any of the decisions on the timeline that night. 34:24
Item by item (7)
- Food service fund review 0:10
- A staff member said the district's move away from the Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP, affects year-to-year comparisons of the food service fund. 0:10
- The food service director said plans for next year include equipment purchases, uniforms and additional staff. 3:02
- A staff member said the '26-'27 projection at the current $4 rate shows an additional $43,000 and includes 2 additional staff members, but does not yet include equipment purchases. 6:05
- Possible lunch price increase 10:50
- The food service director said the paid lunch equity tool has suggested prices since 2011, and that reimbursement rates and a state grant covering reduced-price meals for next year are unknown. 11:22
- A speaker said that if the fund reaches a negative balance, the district would have to follow the tool, and that keeping the price at $4 could lead to a big jump for families. 12:59
- A speaker asked for a comparison of revenue at $4 versus the tiered $4.10 and $4.15 prices, and a staff member said the figures would be run after the workshop and discussed when the item returns for action. 13:45
- Property values and tax rate timeline 15:08
- The staff member said the 2025 total tax rate was $1.10637 and includes 3 enrichment pennies adopted due to Hurricane Beryl that will disappear in the 2026 tax year. 15:08
- A staff member said the district must prepare a proposed budget by June 19th and adopt the budget by June 30th. 15:49
- The staff member said the appraisal district estimates taxable values at approximately $2.08 billion for 2026, an increase of $107 million or 5.43%. 18:46
- Debt service fund and I&S rate 24:03
- General fund assumptions 24:03
- A staff member said preliminary expenditures reflect a recommended 13-month, $3 million tax note to be considered later that night. 31:49
- The staff member said the stabilization process can realistically take 3 to 5 years and that tax notes are essential to maintaining cash flow as fund balance erodes. 32:37
- Salaries and compensation 34:24
- A staff member said classroom teachers completing 3 years must earn $4,000 more and those completing 5 years must earn $8,000 more than in '24-'25, funded through the teacher retention allotment. 35:48
- The staff member said employee health insurance premiums continue to increase for all coverage tiers, although the board increased its contribution by $25 in '25-'26. 36:34
- Efficiency audit and upcoming dates 34:24
- A staff member said the board would be asked later that night to consider hiring an auditor for an efficiency audit. 38:10
- The staff member said the budget meeting notice must be published by June 12th, with budget adoption scheduled for June 22nd, and another budget workshop is planned without a set date. 38:30
Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.
Who spoke
Who spoke
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Video: posted by the district as “Huffman ISD School Board Budget Workshop-May 18, 2026”