Stafford MSD enters its Sept. 14 board meeting riding a seven-point jump in state accountability scores. The Stafford Municipal School Board meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the board room of the Scarcella Administration Building, 1633 Staffordshire Road.

The district earned an overall B rating with a score of 85 in the 2026 Texas Education Agency accountability ratings, released Aug. 14. The district posted that result on its official Facebook page, calling it a seven-point increase from the prior year. For Stafford families, the gains touched every campus.

As we reported Sept. 1, Stafford Middle School posted one of the district's biggest jumps, climbing 12 points to an 81 and a B rating. Stafford Elementary rose 13 points to a 73, earning a C. Stafford High School scored a 90, earning an A. Stafford Magnet Academy and the Early Childhood Center each scored 97.

The board also enters the year with a proposed $45.1 million general fund budget for fiscal year 2026-2027. A joint City Council and school board meeting was scheduled for Aug. 24 to adopt the budget and set the tax rate, though the outcome of that vote has not been confirmed in public records.

The proposed tax rate of $1.00212 per $100 valuation matches the rate from the two prior fiscal years, according to a June 25 budget workshop presentation by Superintendent Dr. Adam Stephens and Chief Financial Officer Dovran Ovezov. The budget projects 3,532 students for the coming year, down slightly from 3,560 as of April 29.

Classroom instruction accounts for $24.5 million, or 54% of total spending. No across-the-board pay raises are included. The budget does fund teacher step increases, estimated at about $102,000, and raises the district's employer health insurance contribution from $250 to $280 per month per employee, adding roughly $96,500 in costs. The district also owes a $1.57 million recapture payment to the state under Texas's school finance system.

The specific agenda for the Sept. 14 meeting had not been posted as of Thursday, Sept. 3. The district's calendar listing directs residents to the BoardBook page for agenda updates.

Residents can attend in person or watch the meeting live on Comcast channel 16 and AT&T channel 99.