During the February Board Meeting, RISD Trustees reviewed information about student performance on the latest MAP assessment, factors impacting RISD enrollment trends, a budget update and the plan to make-up academic time lost due to school closure during the January winter storm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
See the highlights and presentations for these topics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enrollment Update:<\/strong> Enrollment has declined by 723 students compared to last year, with the largest decreases in grades 2\u20137. Third and 9th grades are the largest cohorts this year, creating key transition opportunities. High school enrollment remains steady. As RISD moves forward, we will continue to focus on strategic enrollment efforts and community engagement across Richardson and our surrounding areas zoned to RISD. As a reminder, enrollment for 2026-27 for returning and new to RISD families opens Tuesday, February 24. Parents can complete their online enrollment at www.risd.org\/enrollonline\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n MAP Assessment Results: <\/strong>We celebrate our students\u2019 continued academic growth. All student groups, in grades K\u20138 students showed growth in reading and math, and exceeded national MAP growth norms by more than 50 percent. This is a strong reflection of classroom instruction and leadership and is a strong step toward our North Star Goal. Way to go students and staff! <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2026\u20132027 Budget:<\/strong> Due to declining enrollment and rising costs, RISD is addressing a structural budget gap. Through Project RightSize, RISD has begun aligning staffing with enrollment trends. Staff have been reassigned to meet campus needs, with no layoffs occurring. Future adjustments will happen through attrition as positions become vacant. Benchmark data shows RISD directs a higher percentage of its budget to campuses than peer districts and maintains lower central office spending \u2014 reinforcing our commitment to classroom investment. Budget adoption is scheduled for June 2026. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Be sure to visit our new Finance Fundamentals website<\/a>. This resource helps our community better understand school finance, including where RISD\u2019s funding comes from, how it\u2019s spent, and how it supports our North Star Goal of ensuring every student, teacher, and leader meets or exceeds their academic growth goals. The site will be updated monthly with key information and FAQs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Weather Make-Up Plan:<\/strong> Built-in instructional minutes will cover the recent January 26\u201327 school closure due to the winter storm, keeping April 3 and 6 as holidays. A waiver request has been submitted to the Texas Education Agency for January 28\u201329. Learn more about the make-up plan here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information about this month\u2019s board meeting, including district recognitions, please watch the February Board video recap presented by Trustee Vanessa Pacheco. <\/p>\n\n\n\n