Guest Essay: Staying focused on students and staff as we navigate budget challenges

By DEVIN PADAVIL,  Georgetown ISD’s superintendent

I often think of our community as shareholders in our school district. You invest in public education through your taxes, and your support of our schools shows you care deeply about the future of this community and the young people who will one day lead it. The return on that investment is not measured in dollars, but in graduates who leave our schools with strong academic foundations, college credits, industry certifications, and the skills outlined in our learner profile. When students walk across the graduation stage with the confidence to walk through every door of opportunity, that is a dividend we all share.

This year, thanks to parameters set by the Board of Trustees and difficult decisions made by district leaders, Georgetown ISD adopted a balanced budget. At the same time, we increased teacher and staff pay to remain competitive with surrounding districts. While there is still work to be done, the progress made reflects the board’s priorities and a commitment to our people.

Recruiting and retaining high-quality educators remains the most important investment we can make. Strong teaching directly impacts student outcomes. Over the past two years, the percentage of students reading on grade level has increased by 15 percent. In mathematics, our educators have already met the board’s goal of 66 percent on-grade-level performance this year and expect those numbers to climb. These gains are not accidental. They are the result of talented professionals doing meaningful work in our classrooms every day.

At the same time, it is important to understand how closely student learning and district finances are connected. Public school districts operate within a very limited financial framework. Even as local property values rise, school funding does not increase in a way that keeps pace with costs. Choosing to raise teacher pay, for example, means we must reduce expenses elsewhere in the budget to offset the raise.

There are a few ways a school district can generate additional revenue. One is enrollment growth, which also brings added costs in staffing and facilities. Another is increasing the tax rate, which requires voter approval. A third is improving student attendance, which directly affects state funding. While attendance in Georgetown ISD has steadily improved, projections for student growth have slowed due to broader economic factors such as housing affordability and interest rates, trends many families are experiencing firsthand.

This will be another year that requires careful decision-making. The district has tightened the budget by over $8 million in the past two years, but work must be done to ensure long-term financial stability. While the Texas Legislature increased funding for public education last year, the gains were small and largely consumed by inflation. As a result, many districts, including Georgetown ISD, remain in the same challenged financial position overall.

As decisions are made, Georgetown ISD is committed to keeping stakeholders informed, both inside our schools and across the broader community. Staff, families, and taxpayers deserve clear, timely information about how resources are being used and why certain choices are necessary. Open communication builds understanding and trust, especially when decisions are difficult. By staying transparent and engaged, we can move forward together, focused on strong schools, responsible stewardship of public dollars, and continued growth in student learning.