Dear HISD Families,

I hope you have all enjoyed the spring break with your students. I’m so proud of all your students have accomplished already this year, and I know we’ll finish the 2023-2024 school year strong.

You and your students are HISD’s most important stakeholders, and because of that, I want to share how we are planning to bring a student-focused budget to the Board of Managers this spring. Of course, the Board will receive the full District budget in just over a month, but we will be providing some school-level budget information to the principals and the HISD community beginning today.

The 2024-2025 budget will reflect the District’s most urgent priorities:

1. Increase student achievement for all students.
2. Improve our D and F rated schools.
3. Deliver high-quality special education services to all students who need them. /li>
4. Protect unique school options such as magnet programs and schools.

Like most school districts in the country, HISD is facing difficult budget choices next school year. State funding has not increased and the one-time money (ESSER) the federal government gave districts to support students during and after the pandemic goes away at the end of this academic year. This means HISD will be working with less money than we have had in previous years.

To make sure the HISD budget invests in kids and classrooms, we are focusing on the following core principles:

1. Keep any cuts as far away from the classroom as possible.
2. Invest in teachers and school leaders.
3. Prioritize new investment in initiatives that narrow achievement gaps for children of color and children living in poverty and help us meet the School Board’s adopted goals.
4. Continue to cut waste and inefficiency at the central office.
5. Make no cuts to funding that supports small and/or unique schools. Magnet funding, the high school allotment, and the small school subsidy are all fully funded in the 2024-2025 HISD budget.
6. To the greatest extent possible, avoid major cuts to Principals’ budget in non-NES schools.

Today, Principals in non-NES campuses will receive school-level budget numbers. Each school’s budget for 2024-2025 will be based on their March 2024 enrollment and attendance. Some schools will see increases while others will have a reduction. We know this is a challenge for our schools facing budget cuts, but we will work with each principal to support the most urgent priorities facing our District. We will share campus specific budget information with you later this week.

The complete draft HISD budget will be presented to the Board of Managers in May and for their possible approval in June 2024. Thank you for your continued partnership and all you do to support your student and our schools.

Sincerely,