Building a stronger path forward for SCUC begins with the formation of the Operational Sustainability Committee (OSC), which held its first meeting on February 11, 2026 to help the school district find greater efficiencies and identify sustainable student-center solutions for the future.
“This group is an important partnership as we move forward,” said Paige Meloni, Superintendent of Schools. “We want you to develop an understanding of SCUC finances and then make some recommendations that allow us to sustain operational finances.”
Meloni promises committee members will leave the process with a clear view of SCUC’s budget and the challenges that lie ahead. “This group’s work is to better educate those around us, no matter how complex they are,” she said.
A diverse cross-section of the community were invited to improve the budget process for the 2026-2027 school year and beyond. The group’s composition includes parents, teachers, administrators, community members and senior district leaders. Bill Paschal, Assistant Board Secretary, is also part of the OSC.
SCUC’s financial challenges were presented, including declining enrollment brought about by charter schools entering the area. Brian Moy, Chief Financial Officer, estimated that 3,000 students who live within district boundaries attend elsewhere, diverting $24 million annually from SCUC.
Meanwhile HB 2 passed by the Texas Legislature last spring, increased salaries for teachers and staff but little for operational costs and unfunded mandates. “Any of those inflationary pressures (utilities, health insurance, TRS, etc.) - none of that’s covered now by the new state funding system,” Moy said.
Committee members later held an exercise, titled “How a Dollar Spends a Day in SCUC” to demonstrate how monies are allocated throughout the district. Almost half of the district’s operational budget is directed to teacher salaries, with the other half allocated to nine other categories.
Participants like Teresa Washington, who has a daughter attending Schertz Elementary, left the inaugural meeting a little more clear-eyed about the task ahead, even as public education funding remains hazy. “I want my daughter to have a leg up and not a leg down,” she said. “I want to make sure she’s getting a good education right here in the community, in a melting pot, not in an isolated setting.”
Four additional meetings will be held through May, with the next session scheduled for February 25th in the boardroom of the William Malish Building.