The Board of Trustees of the Livingston Independent School District approved the 2026-2027 budget and adopted the proposed 2026-2027 tax rate of .8739 per $100 valuation during its regular meeting Monday.
The tax rate adopted – .8739 per $100 valuation – is a decrease from last year’s tax rate which was .8944 per $100 valuation.
Public hearings on both the budget and proposed tax rate drew no comments.
“It’s the beginning of another school year and I’m incredibly proud of the improvements being made at Livingston ISD. We are moving in the right direction, but progress is proof. It’s not the destination. We want to be our very best,” LISD Superintendent Dr. Jeff Pack said.
“I’ve spent a lot of time on our campuses. Our teachers are teaching and our students are engaged. We are doing that in good financial shape. The budget is balanced. The tax rate is lower,” Pack said.
Chief Academic Officer Dr. Marley Morris reviewed the district’s accountability ratings released by the Texas Education Agency. “We have a lot to celebrate. The district improved every single domain. There’s a lot of great things going on today,” Morris said.
Athletic Director Tucker Carter and Assistant Athletic Director Heather Mosser also presented reports.
“We’re off to a fast start this year. I felt like ‘Meet the Lions’ was a huge success for a multitude of reasons, thanks to Coach Mo. We’re really getting into the thick of things,” Carter said, reviewing volleyball, tennis, cross country, soccer and football.
Mosser introduced a new initiative that riffs on the recent ‘Restore the Roar’ initiative. “We’re challenging coaches to ‘Define the Roar’ as we emphasize owning the culture and owning what we’re building.” She added that the coaches are selecting two ‘Roar Athletes of the Week’ each week, one male and one female.
The inaugural donation from the Livingston ISD Education Foundation was presented. (See story this issue.)
The board approved a resolution authorizing a one-time employee retention incentive equal to 4% of the midpoint of their pay grade. To qualify for the incentive, the employee must have been an employee for the entire 2025-2026 school year and must be an employee for the entire 2026-2027 school year.
“Our 2025-2026 budget – without considering the stadium, which is being paid for with existing funds – was a surplus. We want to invest that back into our employees and we have a health fund balance,” Pack said, adding that the one-time incentive will cost $1.2 million.
Pack added that employees will sign affidavits and if any of them leave district employment before the conclusion of the 2026-2027 school year, they will be responsible for returning the funds to the district.
As required annually by law, the board approved the investment policy for the 2026-2027 school year with no changes. Also approved was the designation of Pack and Chief Financial Officer Darla Dear as the district’s investment officers, something else required annually by law.
A resolution regarding the extracurricular status of the 4-H organization was approved.
Additionally, the district’s 2026-2027 annual certification of compliance was approved.
The board will approved the appointment of Megan Rowe as a delegate and Kevin Grimm as an alternate for txEDCON, the annual conference for Texas school board members and administrators, slated for Oct. 8-11 in Houston.
The final 2025-2026 budget amendments were also approved.
Although the board entered into an executive session, no action was taken upon return to open session.
During student and staff recognition, Laura Gokey, the education training teacher, and several of her students were recognized for accomplishments. Gokey serves as the advisor for TAFE (Texas Association of Future Educators) and FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America at Livingston High School.
Gokey was named the Texas FCCLA Advisor of the Year. Three of her TAFE students were national finalists and placed in the top 30 in the nation for researching learning challenges. These students were Evelyn Pedraza, Lauren McCloud and Brooke Harbeck. Additionally, two of Gokey’s FCCLA students were national finalists. Shelbie Sandoval placed eighth for interpersonal communication and Samantha Garza placed 14th for teach or train.
The board approved the consent agenda which included approval of the minutes from the previous board meetings, approval of the financial statement report and renewal of membership in the Walsh Gallegos Retainer Program.
