Skip to main content

Liberty Hill ISD

Building Champions in Academics, Character, and Community

Schools

Popular Links

  1. Departments
  2. Business and Financial Services
  3. Budget Basics
  4. FAQs

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

Welcome to the 2025 / 2026 Liberty Hill ISD Budget & Calendar FAQ Page

Liberty Hill ISD is committed to providing the highest quality education while responsibly managing resources for our students, staff, and community. As we plan for the 2025-2026 school year, we are carefully evaluating necessary adjustments to our academic calendar and budget to address financial challenges and accommodate our district’s rapid growth.

This page serves as a central hub for updates, FAQs, and opportunities for community input regarding these proposals. We encourage parents, staff, and stakeholders to stay informed and engaged in this process, as your feedback is essential in shaping decisions that impact our schools.

Budget & Funding FAQs

    • The fund balance at the end of 2023-24 was $15M, but with a $7.5M deficit, it will be reduced to $7.5M, which is below one month of operating expenses. The district must balance the budget next year because it does not have enough reserves to absorb continued deficits. The district has adopted deficit budgets in the past but is unable to continue doing so due to the dangerously low fund balance.

    • Once funding becomes available, all positions that were cut will be reviewed for potential restoration. The district is monitoring legislative funding changes to determine what adjustments can be made.

    • The top priorities will be teacher compensation, adding back support positions to help in classrooms, and increasing the district's fund balance. The district will also evaluate restoring GT, librarians, and behavior interventionists if additional funds become available.

    • The district has applied for and received several state grants for safety, including the School Safety Standards grant, the Safety And Facilities Enhancement (SAFE) grant, and a grant for rifle-resistant body armor. It will continue to explore grant opportunities to support funding needs.

    • Yes, absolutely the legislation has the power to increase school funding. The amount of funding next year or even back funding next year will help. The budget will ultimately depend on what state funding decisions are made. There are positive discussions about increasing funding for special education, CTE, and school safety.

    • The funds that have been used to hire district speakers for campus professional learning and the parent speaker series have been paid for general and federal funds that have earmarked for professional development, and cannot be used to compensate for staff positions. Not hiring a speaker for convocation can save between $3,000 and $10,000 depending on the speaker and allocation of time.

    • Voters may contact their elected legislators through their websites. Legislators need to hear our story on how the lack of funding impacts the lives of our students and staff.

    • No, and here is why. Any teacher pay bill would be funds that would be directed directly to teacher pay.
    • Teachers would see an increase in pay, however the deficit would still remain and cuts to positions would stay. We are fully advocating for an increase in teacher pay however that would not fully alleviate the district’s budget concerns and without an increase to the basic allotment, it might lead to more complications in future budgets.

    • There is currently a pause on any future federal funding actions. The district will continue to monitor this situation and take action to ensure the needs of our students are met. This affects Child Nutrition Services, Special Education, and title funds and grants.

Calendar FAQs

    • Fridays were chosen based on scheduling efficiency and maximizing teacher work time.

    • A committee is reviewing blackout day guidelines to ensure flexibility while maintaining the goal of the calendar to ensure teachers are able to collaborate, PLC and work on lessons.

    • There would be minimal savings for a 4 day student calendar on the operational side. There would be a savings on the staff side by reducing overtime pay and less sub costs, which are the highest on Fridays.

    • The Teaching and Learning department will work with classroom teachers to make adjustments that are best for meeting the needs of students.

    • The lack of funding from the state is causing the upcoming budget cuts and increased workload on classroom teachers. Knowing that our classroom teachers will carry a higher burden, the district is exploring the idea of a 4 day student week and 5 day staff week to give teachers more time to plan and prepare for this additional workload.

    • This district understands the concern of less instructional days overall for students as an area of concern. Our staff will work to ensure they maximize every minute to keep the goal of high quality instruction for all students.

    • Feedback from the calendar showed more support for Fridays as the day off for students. Additionally this is the day most students miss class for extracurriculars and not having school on Friday, prevents that from happening.

    • The eight-period schedule allows students to earn required graduation credits early and meet the CTE requirements for endorsement and employment beyond graduation.

    • A seven-period schedule is under review but was previously found to have no cost savings and would require current staff to get additional certifications.

    • The district is evaluating the necessity of these courses and considering adjustments. Removing these classes would cause additional courses to be needed. For example, if you no longer offer Success, then the students in those sections would need to go into a different elective causing those class sizes to go higher or add additional staff.

    • Yes, all middle school teachers will teach 7 of 8 periods as part of next year's budget reductions and scheduling efficiencies.

Staffing & Job FAQs

    • Special education positions have not been cut yet, but they are under Phase 2 considerations. The district is conducting an audit to determine staffing needs and potential adjustments.

    • Yes, this is a primary strategy being explored. For exampl, GT teachers may be shared across campuses instead of having one per school.

    • The district recognizes the importance of behavior interventionists and is considering alternative models to address student behavior needs.

    • There will be an interview process for positions that are being reduced. All current teachers will have an opportunity to apply for the reorganized positions.

    • These department staffing allocations were not part of phase 1 budget cuts but are currently being reviewed for staffing efficiencies going into next school year.

    • The district is currently freezing and not filling approximately $800K in central office positions with more staff efficiencies coming through reorganization later on. Additionally, the LHISD central office is staffed at 4% of the total staff, which is below similarly-sized districts – which staff central office at 7%.

Other FAQs

  • Is eliminating elementary police vehicles an option to save money?

    • No, the vehicles were paid for with bond money, and their removal would not impact the budget.

  • Will there be any school zone/attendance boundary changes this year?

    • There are not current attendance boundary changes being proposed for the 2025/26 school year.

  • Have you considered reducing the number of bus routes and/or stops?

    • The district has reduced bus stops for the spring semester and is currently evaluating next year’s transportation routes for more efficiencies. 

  • When will decisions be made regarding Phase 2 and Phase 3 of budget cuts?

    • Decisions depend on legislative funding changes and demographic updates.

     

    Will there be committees to determine what restructured positions look like?

    • Yes, principal and teacher input is being used in decision-making.

     

    Are meetings occurring with affected employee groups before final board decisions?

    • Principals have met with affected employees and group meetings are being scheduled.

  • Will tuition-based Pre-K still be an option?

    • This is still being evaluated, but funding for Pre-K remains a challenge.

     

    Is half-day Pre-K an option, and would that save money?

    • The state mandates full day Pre-K even though the funding provided covers half.

     

    Is there potential the bilingual program will be eliminated?

    • State law requires that the district offers bilingual education.  LHISD currently offers a two way immersion model that allows for Spanish speaking and non Spanish speaking students to learn Spanish and English together.  There is a possibility the district will change programs to a one way bilingual program that will open up more seats for Spanish speaking students.

  • Can athletics host events to generate revenue?

    • Yes, the district is exploring ways to increase revenue through event hosting and sponsorships.

     

    Will transportation be provided for student extracurricular activities on Fridays if there is no school but there is still practice?

    • The district is currently exploring this possibility.

     

    Will a 4 day school week impact extra curricular activities?

    • This school year there were several extra curricular activities on school holidays or staff work days and there was little impact in attendance, ticket sales, concessions and community engagement.  We expect to maintain high levels of participation on our extracurriculars.

  • How will the district address increasing behavioral concerns with fewer behavior interventionists?

    • The district is re-evaluating these cuts because elementary behavior issues have increased significantly.
    • A response team model was suggested for implementation.

     

    How will the mental health needs of students be met with a reduction of school mental health counselors?

    • All counselors will have to prioritize student needs for support through a team approach. The district is exploring additional intern counselors to provide some support as well.

     

    Will the district consider transitioning SMHC (Student Mental Health Counselors) into school counselor roles to keep them on campus?

    • The district is actively lobbying for more mental health funding and is reviewing possible waivers that would allow licensed mental health professionals to serve as school counselors.

Have Feedback?

Have a question or feedback? Let us know by submitting your query on this form.  


Interested in School Finance? Join our Finance Committee! Drop us an email indicating your areas of interest and how you envision contributing to this field.

Budget Reduction Planning Solution Forms:

Provide feedback, concerns, or ideas by using the following feedback forms: