Student recognitions and new leadership appointments kicked off last week’s Wylie ISD board meeting, before trustees turned their attention to next year’s budget.

The board welcomed Mary Zucha as the new principal of Cooper Junior High, following the promotion of Leslie Dodson to Executive Director of Student Services. 

Zucha, a Wylie native, began her career in the district in 2015, teaching seventh-grade science at Cooper and later serving as assistant principal. She was named Wylie ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year in 2019-20.

Dodson, who led Cooper during the 2024-25 school year, has held leadership roles at several campuses since joining Wylie ISD in 2019. She brings experience across elementary, junior high and high school levels to her new districtwide role.

Wylie East and Wylie High School students, part of a three-school lacrosse team, which included Plano East students, were recognized for winning the Texas High School Lacrosse League Division C state championship. 

Wylie High’s Air Force JROTC program received honors for top performance at the Joint Cadet Leadership Course, with students earning Distinguished Graduate and national award distinctions.

Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Scott Roderick presented the proposed 2025-26 budget, which includes general, debt service and student nutrition funds. 

The 2025-26 financial outlook is based on property values of $11.81 billion, a 6.1% increase from last year. Enrollment is expected to rise modestly to 19,560 students,

The general fund is budgeted at $206.3 million in revenue and $223.3 million in expenditures, resulting in a budgeted $17 million deficit. The fund includes about $85.8 million from local sources, $118.1 million from the state, $823,800 in federal funds and $1.6 million from other sources. 

Expenditures are budgeted at roughly $223.3 million, with $183.4 million allocated to payroll and $39.9 million budgeted for non-payroll expenses.

The district’s proposed debt service fund includes total revenue of about $54.9 million, with approximately $51.2 million from local sources and $3.7 million from the state.

Expenditures are budgeted to match revenue at $54.9 million. This includes about $24 million in principal payments, $30.9 million in interest payments and $20,000 in fees.

The debt service fund is budgeted to break even, with no surplus or deficit projected.

Wylie ISD’s proposed student nutrition fund budget has total revenue of approximately $11.5 million, with $6.3 million coming from local sources, $250,000 from the state and about $4.9 million in federal funding.

Total expenditures are budgeted at $13 million, including roughly $5 million for payroll and $8 million for non-payroll expenses.

No one spoke during the required public hearings and trustees approved proposed budgets for the three funds. 

Roderick said his office plans to present an amended version of the proposed budget to trustees in August after legislative updates are finalized. 

A 2025-26 compensation package was also approved. It includes HB 2 raises for teachers, a $5,000 increase for nurses, counselors and certified librarians, and a $1,000 increase for 1-2 year teachers. Starting salaries for new teachers will be $62,070 and all non-teaching employees will receive a 3% pay increase.

The package will increase payroll by 14.1 million of which $5.2 million will be funded by HB 2, leaving the district to fund $8.9 million of the package

The district also introduced the Achieving a Zero Deficit Initiative, or AZDI, aimed at restoring a balanced budget by the 2026-27 school year. The initiative will focus on identifying cost efficiencies, alternative revenue sources and legislative advocacy. Monthly updates will begin in September, with final recommendations expected in January 2026.

Superintendent David Vinson said the district remains optimistic about its financial future but warned of the need for difficult decisions due to inflation and state underfunding of required programs.

“We want to get back to broke,” Vinson said. “We want to remain hopeful, but we’re in a situation now where we’re going to have to make some hard decisions and hard choices.”

In other action, trustees approved the hiring of Angie McIntosh, a retired Wylie police officer, as the district’s new safety and security specialist. McIntosh will also handle intra-transport duties and is included on the list of authorized staff permitted to carry a firearm on campus.

The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 18.

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Chad Engbrock | [email protected]