Food Service initiatives have been planned using Child Nutrition Fund Balance from prior years because projects were delayed by COVID.
1. The Humble ISD School Board adopts three separate, annual budgets: the General Fund Budget, the Child Nutrition Fund Budget, and the Debt Service Fund budget. Funds cannot be commingled between the different types of budgets under federal and state regulations. Expenses can only be paid from the appropriate fund.
2. Humble ISD passed a balanced General Fund Budget for the 2024-2025 school year. The General Fund Budget pays for salaries and benefits, utilities, educational supplies, bus transportation, and more. While many school districts passed deficit budgets due to no new money from the state and rising costs, Humble ISD was able to pass a balanced budget.
3. The Child Nutrition Fund is a stand-alone budget. The Child Nutrition Fund does not affect the district’s general operating budget. The Child Nutrition Department does not receive any local tax dollars.
4. Humble ISD passed a Child Nutrition Fund Budget with an intentional, planned $15 million shortfall between expected revenue and expenditures this school year. Humble ISD allocated $15 million from the Child Nutrition Fund balance (savings) from prior years that must be spent or the federal government could claim the funds. The $15 million is being used for kitchen and serving line enhancements with the goal of providing more scratch-made items cooked in schools’ kitchens. The district was unable to complete these projects in prior years due to supply chain shortages during and after COVID.
5. Humble ISD passed a balanced Debt Service Fund Budget. Debt Service funds pay for bonds. As promised in the 2022 bond referendum approved by voters, the debt service tax rate of 35 cents has not increased. The overall tax rate (debt service rate of $0.35 + maintenance and operations rate of $0.7552) for 2024 is $1.1052, which is lower than the 2023 rate of $1.1075. The 2024 tax rate is 27.5% lower than the tax rate 15 years ago, which was $1.52.