Big changes are coming to Frisco, and teachers, students and pocket books will be affected.
The Frisco Independent School District is bracing to lose money from a state fund called Additional State Aid for Tax Reduction.
ASATR was established in 2006 and will expire in 2017.
According to officials, Frisco ISD is projected to lose $30 million in ASATR funding for the 2017-2018 school year.
"We'd either have to make that up by making cuts or not add staff," said Richard Wilkinson, Frisco ISD deputy superintendent of business services. "There's no way we can continue to maintain the current staffing levels. You would see the current class sizes increase."
Wilkinson said Frisco ISD receives 3,500 new students a year.
"We wouldn't be able to add staff to continue to meet that level," Wilkinson said. "The personalized learning part becomes more challenging if those numbers continue to increase."
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Frisco ISD officials could also call for a tax ratification election which would increase the property tax rate.
"That's the only major way to add funding to the budget," Wilkinson said.
Before ASATR is phased off, Frisco ISD Spokeswoman Meghan Cone said Frisco ISD will have lost $125 million in Maintenance & Operations funds between 2011 and 2017.
According to Cone, the projected amount lost for 2016-17 is $27.2 million. The projected amount lost for 2017-18 – the year ASATR is completely eliminated – is approximately $30 million.
This web page shows Frisco ISD's tax rate and how it was impacted by the state-mandated tax compression in 2006.
Funds to pay off debt from bonds come from the Interest and Sinking budget.
Frisco's stadium partnership with the Dallas Cowboys is unrelated to ASATR funding, officials said.
