Auditors told the Leander ISD board that district spending patterns and a shrinking unassigned fund balance make a voter‑approval tax‑rate election (VADER) one of several limited options — the VADER would raise about $6.7 million but would not close the district's structural shortfall. Trustees pressed for clearer peer comparisons, spending breakouts and monitoring metrics before committing to further budget steps.

PRB staff described an IT modernization project to improve the PORT portal and MET reporting, and the executive director briefed the board on the SAO efficiency audit timeline and Telfer conference takeaways. Staff reported the audit publication is expected Feb. 2026.