Editor’s note: Transcript provided by CoverGov and Cambridge Artificial Intelligencer.
Keller ISD trustees unanimously approved a $346.1 million budget for the 2026-27 school year at the June 25 special meeting, delivering a spending plan that includes teacher step pay increases, a 1% pay raise for all other staff and a small projected surplus.
The $346,084,328 proposed budget includes projected revenues of $346,450,813 and a projected surplus of $321,485.
Deputy superintendent John Allison and chief financial officer Pamela Stranathan presented the budget to the board, which mirrored the plan first shared with trustees on June 11.
Officials added that the final property value and tax data will not be available until July or August. Allison and Stranathan expressed confidence in their projections.
“Using the templates that we have been provided, we are taking an estimate at this time and feel pretty confident with our estimate,” Allison said.
The June 25 posted agenda includes a taxpayer impact statement that shows the Tarrant Appraisal District’s median-valued Keller ISD homestead rose to $258,793 from $258,000. The tax rate remains the same, so the estimated property tax bill increases to $1,954.41 from $1,948.42.
The budget covers three required funds: general, debt service and child nutrition. Officials noted the debt service fund has remained largely stable, while the child nutrition fund reflects a modest increase tied to a transition to a new food service vendor.
Three highlights stood out in the general fund expenditures:
- A step increase for all teachers.
- A 1% pay raise for all other district employees.
- An increase to the district’s share of healthcare insurance costs.
Step increases are built into the district’s pay system and bump an employee’s compensation up based on reaching certain milestones.
Board President John Birt took the opportunity to commend the finance team and district leadership “for not only bringing a balanced budget, but one that potentially has some surplus associated with it,” Birt said.
To learn more about how the transcripts that informed this report were created, visit Cambridge Artificial Intelligencer and CoverGov.
Eric Zarate is a freelance journalist. If you believe anything in this account is inaccurate, please email us at news@fortworthreport.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
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