Good morning Graham ISD,

I want to share some important news with you about our ongoing work to ensure transparency and consistent communications especially in the area of budget and finance. We’ve worked hard to be fiscally responsible and based on that work, we have earned top ratings for financial integrity. However, school finance is a complicated topic for anyone to understand.

Today, we’re launching Dollars & $ense - an educational campaign to help you make sense of school finance. This project will include ongoing communication about our financial reality in multiple formats. We’ll share information about school funding in Texas, our GISD budget, the local tax rate, and how attendance impacts our dollars, as well as, outlining the challenges we face effectively serving students with limited funding.

Up until this year, the Texas Legislature had not increased the per student allotment since 2019. This allotment helps fund operating expenses to support student programs and services. The 89th Texas Legislature did approve additional funding for some teachers and programs, but the increase in the Basic Allotment came to $55 per student. This increase did not close the gap felt from years of stagnant state funding, inflationary pressures, and declining enrollment and attendance in Graham ISD.

The district also recently approved a change to the fiscal year that will help net an approximate one-time $3 million savings that will help alleviate the approximate $1 million budget deficit this year. We will continue to monitor expenditures in real time and make adjustments as needed throughout the year. Graham ISD is taking steps to improve attendance and increase overall enrollment that will yield additional revenue.

The Dollars & $ense campaign’s purpose is to engage you in the conversation in order to build understanding, create a sense of responsibility, and strengthen confidence in how we manage our resources.

To learn more, visit the new Dollars & $ense website - dollarsandsense.grahamisd.com 

Committed to Excellence,

Dr. Johnston