ROUND ROCK, Texas — As school districts look at their budgets for future decisions, Round Rock ISD is bracing for the worst.
Superintendent Dr. Hafedh Azaiez says Round Rock ISD’s worst-case scenario is a potential $16 million deficit for the 2025-26 school year.
While there are still a lot of unknowns, Azaiez said the district does not want staff to lose their jobs. Still, budget measures will need to be taken.
“Now, we have to make it work with obviously a lot less,” Azaiez said.
According to Azaiez, the district will examine spending cuts to programs like athletics and fine arts. The district will also ask some staff in Round Rock ISD’s central office to take on more responsibilities.
“Instead of eliminating the program, we just ask them, ‘Hey, can we find some savings, maybe try to cut by 10% your expenditures or 15% depending obviously without jeopardizing the program itself,'” Azaiez said. “It’s asking people to work harder, right?”
Since 2023, Azaiez says school leaders have been asking for more money from the state, like getting an increase in the basic allotment, which is the minimum funding schools get each year per student.
“When people ask me what are the things that are keeping you up at night right now … I can tell you, it’s really the budget,” Azaiez said.
The potential budget cuts have some parents concerned, like Fabian Cuero, whose kids graduated from Round Rock ISD.
“It’s devastating as a parent because we want our kids to have the best educations … the best facilities,” Cuero said. “I’m hoping legislators will come together and figure out a way.”
If solutions aren’t put forward, the superintendent says it could put the district in a dire situation where they would have to do “big cuts.”
“Where we have to eliminate programs or … close schools. But those are drastic measures that we don’t want to do,” Azaiez said.
According to Azaiez, they will have several meetings to come up with a balanced budget and bring it to the district’s board, hopefully in June.