CYPRESS, TEXAS — The Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Board of Trustees adopted a $1.25 billion budget and staff compensation plan for the 2026-27 school year on June 22, 2026. The budget adoption passed with a 6-1 vote.

Trustee Christine Kalmbach cast the single dissenting vote on the budget. The general fund budget includes $508 million in local revenue, $651 million in state revenue, and $6.7 million from federal and other sources.

The plan allocates approximately 65% of the total budget toward instruction. The district's budget agenda indicated a projected deficit of $80.9 million for the 2026-27 school year. "While public education benefited from a historic $8.5 billion state investment, rising costs for basic operations like utilities and fuel have outpaced those gains, resulting in a projected $80.9 million deficit for CFISD," Superintendent of Schools Douglas Killian said.

All full-time employees will receive a one-time $500 recruitment and retention stipend, regardless of a future tax election outcome. Teachers are set to receive step pay increases based on their years of experience, and all employees will see increased district contributions towards health insurance.

The budget also includes two additional one-time stipends which depend on the board calling for a 12-cent tax rate increase election, and its subsequent approval by voters in November 2026. This tax rate increase would lead to an annual increase of $126 in school district property taxes for a home valued at $350,000. If the tax rate increase is approved, full-time hourly and paraprofessional employees would receive a $2,000 stipend, and all other full-time employees would receive a $1,000 stipend. These contingent stipends would be paid by Feb. 28, 2027.