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Heads up, taxpayers and parents: We’ve audited the upcoming CALALLEN ISD agenda. There are 5 items targeting parental consent and taxpayer funds that need your immediate attention before the gavel falls.
| ⚠️ Warning (LEVEL 7) |
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Board Asked to Give Staff a $100,000 Blank Check
Item 5.D asks the board to give the Assistant Superintendent authority to make “blanket” budget amendments up to $99,999.99 after the fiscal year ends, without a public vote. This process bypasses the oversight of elected trustees and reduces transparency, allowing significant sums of taxpayer money to be moved between accounts outside of a public meeting.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Email the Calallen ISD Board. ‘Vote NO on Item 5.D. All budget amendments, regardless of timing or amount, must be approved by the elected board in a public meeting with a recorded vote.’ Taxpayers should verify current board member contact information on the district’s official website.
💰 Impact: Loss of public oversight on $99,999 in spending
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| ⚠️ Warning (LEVEL 7) |
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Budget Hides $2,195 to Lobby State Lawmakers
Buried in the 2026-2027 budget summary is a $2,195 line item for “Lobbying.” This means the district is using local property tax dollars to pay professional lobbyists to influence legislation in Austin. Taxpayers are being forced to fund political advocacy that may oppose their own interests, such as efforts to secure property tax relief or increase school transparency.
Response
DEMAND THE DETAILS: Email the Calallen ISD Board. ‘Before voting on the budget (Item 5.E), please publicly identify who receives the $2,195 for lobbying and what specific legislation they advocate for. I urge you to adopt a policy ending the use of taxpayer money for political lobbying.’ Taxpayers should verify current board member contact information on the district’s official website.
💰 Impact: $2,195
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| 🚩Watchlist (LEVEL 6) |
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Bitcoin Miner Gets Red Carpet, Taxpayers May Get the Bill
The board is receiving a presentation from HUT 8, an industrial-scale Bitcoin mining company. These presentations are often the first step toward the company requesting millions in property tax abatements (Chapter 313-style deals), which would shift the tax burden for schools onto homeowners and small businesses for years to come.
Response
DEMAND THE DETAILS: Email the Calallen ISD Board. ‘Regarding the HUT 8 presentation (Item 3a), I urge you to reject any future tax abatement proposals. Homeowners should not be forced to subsidize large corporations.’ Taxpayers should verify current board member contact information on the district’s official website.
💰 Impact: Potential for millions in future tax abatements
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| 🚩Watchlist (LEVEL 5) |
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District Plans Fifth Straight Year of Deficit Spending
The proposed 2026-27 budget (Item 5.E) plans to spend $540,000 more than the district takes in. This marks the fifth consecutive year of deficit spending, draining the district’s fund balance (its savings account). While reserves are currently adequate, this pattern is unsustainable and puts the district on a path toward future tax hikes or painful service cuts.
Response
DEMAND A PLAN: Email the Calallen ISD Board. ‘Regarding the budget vote (Item 5.E), what is the board’s multi-year plan to stop the deficit spending and balance the budget without depleting the fund balance?’ Taxpayers should verify current board member contact information on the district’s official website.
💰 Impact: $540,000 drawn from savings
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✅ Wins to Defend
Good moves worth showing up to support so they stick.
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| Win (LEVEL 0) |
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District Adopts Policy Protecting Taxpayers from Pension Surcharges
The district’s 2026-2027 Compensation Plan (Item 5.G) includes a new provision that makes retirees hired after September 1, 2025, responsible for their own state-mandated pension surcharges. This is a fiscally responsible move that protects local taxpayers from having to pay these extra costs, ensuring that hiring decisions are based on need, not on who pays the state’s pension fees.
How to Secure It
SUPPORT SMART POLICY: Consider emailing the Calallen ISD Board to thank them for adopting a fiscally responsible policy on retiree surcharges in the new compensation plan. Taxpayers should verify current board member contact information on the district’s official website.
✅ Why It Matters: Future taxpayer savings
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