Fiction: The Conservative CFISD Board Created the $138M Budget Problem
Fiction: “The conservative CFISD Board created the $138 million budget problem.”
Truth:
The budget crisis was not caused by the newly elected conservative board.
The root issue originates from a one-time federal COVID relief grant of approximately $280 million that the district received and then spent on permanent expenses—namely excessive raises and new hires—despite knowing those funds would expire.
This reality was withheld from public knowledge before the November 2023 school board election, intentionally omitted to influence election outcomes.
Prior to that election, the board was a 4–3 majority of liberal and RINO members, including Superintendent Mark Henry, a liberal Democrat.
In November 2023, three conservative trustees were elected, shifting the board to a 6–1 Republican-led majority.
In December 2023, the liberal superintendent quietly retired and was replaced by Dr. Doug Killian in a rushed process, apparently aiming to “cover tracks”.
When Killian and the new board took office in January 2024, they were unexpectedly informed of the $138 million deficit, previously undisclosed.
The real cause—spending that exceeded revenue under the previous administration—was reframed as an “existential crisis” for the new board to address.
Bottom Line: The deficit was created by the prior leadership’s spending decisions and lack of transparency—not the conservative board’s actions.