The financial outlook for SCUC has come into sharper focus after the fifth meeting of the Operational Sustainability Committee (OSC) held on May 13, 2026. Months of frank conversations, financial presentations and soul-searching decisions produced meaningful reductions across the financial spectrum and suggestions for more cuts for the 2026-2027 school year. OSC members came up with recommendations to reduce the budget by nearly $4 million.
Brandi Martin, community resident, sat in on the discussions from the outset and believes OSC managed to keep to the spirit of the mission. “The reality of the cuts are serious when you look at the numbers and see them,” Martin said. “Each group discussion was guided by looking at reducing the impact to the students and staff.”
SCUC’s deficit was approximately $8 million when the work of the OSC committee began in February. But the ensuing months brought dire news when changes in the state’s funding formula ballooned the 2026-2027 shortfall to $14 million.
“We should have gotten $4.2 million in state aid,” said Brian Moy, Chief Financial Officer. “Instead, we got $700,000 and then everything related to the frozen properties (values) hurt us about another $2.8 million.”
Paige Meloni, SCUC Superintendent, says the projected revenue windfall from the 89th Legislative Session in 2025 for public education was a mirage for San Antonio-area school districts.
“Any time you have a legislative session, there are winners and losers. We were a definite loser,” Meloni said. “Out of 1,019 public school districts in Texas, SCUC ranks 989th in revenue per student.”
While the cuts are still significant, they also highlight a broader reality: the budget challenges are tied to structural issues within the state’s funding formula, and not because of negligence or wasteful spending by school districts. SCUC has traditionally run lean budgets - which means there was little room for painless reductions.
“We’ve done the work,” said Martin. “But what’s the reality? We’re still left with a huge deficit.”
Discussion has now shifted toward the possibility of another Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) after the election held in November of 2025 failed by fewer than 100 votes. Other San Antonio-area school districts, including Northside ISD and North East ISD, are holding discussions to hold VATRE elections this fall as well.
“What a possible successful election ensures (for SCUC) is that there’s money available to give a raise for the 2027-2028 school year and perhaps two years of relative financial stability,” Moy said.
The Operational Sustainability Committee will now become a permanent committee at SCUC, with 2-3 meetings planned for the 2026-27 school year.
Martin believes continued communication and outreach to district staff and stakeholders is necessary to grasp the consequences of the status quo. Future budget reductions could impact programs and staffing, and future OSC meetings will likely focus not only on budgets, but also on SCUC’s long-term health and sustainability.
“There needs to be education throughout the district - everybody involved needs to know what that means,” said Martin. “It’s important that those who have the knowledge and information go out and share it with others.”