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Eanes ISD could see $1.6 million budget surplus next year following cuts

After months of projecting a multimillion dollar budget shortfall in fiscal year 2026-27, Eanes ISD could actually see a $1.6 million budget surplus following the implementation of a plan that will yield central administration staff cuts.

How we got here: Following initial projections of a $5 million-$6 million shortfall last fall, the board approved a series of revenue generation and cost-saving measures in February to garner about $3.9 million worth of savings.

What's changed: In an email to the community last week, Superintendent Kirk Koennecke said that a new $2.8 million "Right Size Plan" and other new revenue generation strategies will impact the budget forecast over the next three years. District officials said the Right Size Plan will include central administration and administrative support services cuts.

Looking ahead: The board will adopt the budget in June and the tax rate in August. The board was initially slated to approve its compensation plan in May but could hold off on implementing staff raises until the fall to keep a cushion in the district's fund balance.

 
On The Business Beat
Barton Springs Nursery brings 40 years of florals, foliage and style to Austin

Barton Springs Nursery has been a dedicated green space in Austin for four decades, with an equally dedicated staff to maintain it. Five years ago, couple Amy Hovis and Greg Thomas bought the nursery and have since been transforming it into a space that’s “presentable, welcoming and centering in on education and community,” Hovis explained.

More details: Barton Springs Nursery specializes in native and adapted plants. Barton Springs grows its own hard-to-find native plants and is the only retail nursery in Texas to grow and sell its own, Hovis said.

What’s special about it: Hovis and Thomas also strive to create a people-centric space, designed for visitors to enjoy the space without the pressure to purchase anything. The business also offers free coffee.

A new chapter: Hovis and Thomas recently expanded the nursery to include a new location on North Lamar Boulevard with a focus on architectural design and installation. 

“That's my roots from how I started, and now it's coming full circle,” Hovis said. 

  • 3601 Bee Cave Road, Austin
 

Your Weekend To-Do List

Check out these weekend events across the metro area.

Williamson County Art Guild “Big Picture Show” reception

20th annual Pioneer Day

May 1, 5-7 p.m.
Georgetown

May 2, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Round Rock

More info

More info

 

Heritage Home Tour

BookSpring Fest

May 2, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
San Marcos

May 2, noon-5 p.m.
Austin

More info

More info

 
To submit your own event, click here.

CI Texas
Parents eulogize Camp Mystic victims; lawmakers urge health officials to suspend camp's license

Over 130 Central Texas residents and visitors died over the July 4 weekend as an intense rainstorm and flooding swept through the region. Among them were 28 deaths at Camp Mystic: 25 young campers; aged 8 to 10 years old; two 18-year-old counselors; and 70-year-old Richard "Dick" Eastland, the camp's executive director.

The private Christian girls camp has been under scrutiny for the actions camp leaders took to attempt to save campers in cabins along the Guadalupe River.

What's happening: During the second day of public hearings April 28, a panel of lawmakers investigating the July 4 flood heard roughly 12 hours of testimony from: 

  • The Eastland family, which owns and operates Camp Mystic
  • The head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management
  • The families of some campers who survived the flood
  • The parents of seven girls who died at Camp Mystic on July 4
  • Officials from the Texas Department of State Health Services, which licenses youth camps
 

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Grace Dickens
Editor

Taylor Stover
General Manager

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