Budget Development Deadlines

When making an attempt to determine the “list of events and important dates” that are utilized to develop a district budget seem to be split along two different lines.  Those two lines are:

1.      State-mandated dates; and

2.      Locally determined (soft) dates.

To address the state-mandated dates there are three that most groups identify.  They include:

1.      The budget must be prepared by 8/20 (6/19 for districts that observe a 7/1 FY start);

2.      The budget must be approved by 8/30 (6/30 for districts that observe a 7/1 FY start); and

3.      The annual budget adoption (public budget meeting) must be announced no more than 30 days, but no less than 10 days prior to the meeting.

The above mentioned dates are set within the Texas Education Code (TEC).  Two additional dates that are state-mandated, but receive much less attention are:

1.      The district budget must be filed with the State of Texas by a date set by the State Board of Education (SBOE).  That date may change and is not written within the TEC as the previously mentioned events; and

2.      The chief Appraiser shall prepare and certify an estimate of the taxable value of district property by April 30^th of each year if requested by the District (see note below):

• The purpose is to determine values of property in that taxing unit for the taxing unit's budgetary purposes.  This provision does not apply if the District notifies the chief appraiser that District elects not to receive the estimate or assistance as described by statute.

In addition to state-mandated deadlines, each district also sets internal deadlines.  Deadlines for actions such as:

1.      Projection of anticipated enrollment / revenue projections which often occurs in January;

2.      Budget workshops / campus-based budget requests that occur during the Feb – March time period; and

3.      Board of Trustees budget retreats / preparation sessions to discuss budget allocations and preparations prior to finalizing the budget.  Sessions often occur between April and June.

Of course, internal dates are relative to the Fiscal Year under which a district operates.  The dates above are for districts with a September 1 Fiscal Year.  If a district were to operate on a July 1 Fiscal Year, I would anticipate those district deadlines would shift by 2-3 months.